A BUCKET LIST RESET | GOALS FOR 2023

I’ve had a bucket list for well over 15 years, first writing it way back (way, way back…) when I turned 25 in 2005. Inspired by someone else I saw with a “25 for 25” list, I put together a random selection of things I wanted to have completed by the time I turned 30.

I might not actually have used the now common term bucket list for a few years, referring to it as my big list of things to do for a while, and then as my to try list, but it very quickly morphed from that silly-five-year-plan into a lifelong list of goals to achieve. There wasn’t only 30 things on it for long! It’s even become one of the things I and Splodz Blogz is known for – this is a diary of the experiences of life, and I love that about it.

About My Bucket List

Now in my 40s (sorry, but that is a ridiculous age, and I’m really not a fan), I feel like I’ve garnered some wisdom when it comes to my bucket list. There’s a philosophy to it, it means something, and I find joy in simply having one.

My bucket list includes adventure challenges, personal development goals, things I’d like to do or experience just once, things I’d like to learn or master over time, places I’d like to visit, and more. It’s a wish list, a maybe one day list, a list to inspire my weekends and my days off work. And yes, it also includes some of those traditional big bucket list items, because however cliché they might seem, they still sound like fun.

In all honesty, even thinking back to that very young feeling 25-year-old me in 2005, my bucket list has never actually been about ticking things off a list. I mean, that might seem like the whole point to onlookers, but it really isn’t. Rather, my bucket list is about experiencing what life has to offer, having adventures of all shapes and sizes, and, most importantly, creating some fabulous memories to last a lifetime.

Un-muddling and Resetting

I admit it all got a bit muddled somewhere in my mid-30s, becoming a scary monster that exasperated the struggle I sometimes have with my mortality (I have never dealt well with the passing of time – tips welcome). But as all good stories with meaning, I’ve come back around to loving the idea of a documented list of things I want to do and have in this world, as a means to celebrate life.

I had a good chat with a friend a couple of weeks ago about all this, and some things she said had me returning to my bucket list and remember what it was all meant to be about. I rewrote it during 2022, but hadn’t really acted on it; but what my friend said had me salivating over the idea of planning and experiencing some of those things in 2023 and beyond.

Ultimately, my bucket list is my way of inspiring myself. It is how I ensure I am taking the time for the things I enjoy in life – and push myself to see what other things I might enjoy. Taking part in things I enjoy helps make me feel both energised and relaxed at the same time, which ultimately results is helping me avoid burnout. Well, nearly. You know what I mean.  

Sprucing Things Up

And that’s why I’m here, a month after everyone else has set and started work on their goals for 2023, with a bucket list reset, setting out my stall for the rest of this year.

Unfortunately, the plug-in I’ve been using to both share my list on here and keep track for my own benefit since 2010 is no longer supported, so I’ve taken that down and I’m currently working on a suitable way to share it in full.

In the meantime, I have updated my bucket list page, have created an archive of all my bucket list-related blog posts, and will continue to share my hopes and dreams (and successes and failures) here in my little corner of the internet.

Yes Please in 2023

Without wanting to set myself up for failure (again), I have been motivated into selecting a bunch of things from my bucket list to try and tick off in 2023. Some are already in the diary, others should be easy enough to fit in, others will take a bit of planning, and yet others will require more than a little fortune. But in the absence of sharing my whole bucket list with you at the moment, here’s a much shorter “yes please in 2023” version.

Even this list is in two parts. I mean, why have one list when you can have two?! The first section includes what feel to me like adventures; things that will involve time off work, plenty of planning, and probably a bit of money spent. The second is more of a flavour of the things I want to fill my life with because they will make my evenings and weekends happy.

Bucket List Adventures

• Hike the Cotswold Way. I’m booked to walk this with a friend this coming spring. We’re planning on taking our sweet time, hiking the 102 miles over seven days, allowing us to make the most of the scenery – and the food along the way.
• Hike across the Lake District. Jenni (my coast to coast and West Highland Way hiking partner) and I will walk the Cumbria Way-ish this summer. I say “ish” because we are probably only going to do the first three or four days, and then switch to something a bit more mountainous before heading back to Keswick. We might even, weather and energy permitting, head back to Helvellyn for our coast to coast rematch.
• Road trip in Morocco. Later this year I’ll be riding my F650GS to and around Morocco. We should have done this road trip in Spring 2022, but political difficulties kept the ferries in port, so we headed into Spain and Portugal instead. Now the ferries are running, this will be our big motorcycle adventure for this year.
• Six Short Adventures. I hope to prioritise heading away for a few one- or two-night camping, glamping or even hotel trips in England and Wales. Which is probably too woolly to actually make happen, so I’ve chosen six specific short adventures:
  • A camping trip with a view of the sea from my tent.
  • An overnight stay in a treehouse (recommendations welcome!).
  • A cosy glamping weekend with a wood burning stove and/or a hot tub.
  • A traditional city break with lots of urban exploring and good food.
  • An overnight stay with fancy spa access (ooer!).
  • A stay in some kind of walk-in-only accommodation.
• Finish the Winchcombe Way. I hiked the west loop of this 40-mile figure of eight walk in the north Cotswolds back in April 2021, with the intention of doing the whole thing that weekend. But, well, I didn’t. I want to settle unfinished business and hike the east loop.

More Traditional Goals

Ultimately, and most importantly, I want to carve out time for the things I love most in life – spending time with the people I love, being outdoors, using blogging to help create fun opportunities, and purposefully relaxing at home. Including:

• Have lots (and lots, and lots) of One Hour Outside inspired adventures, such as (but definitely not limited to) hiking, surfing, swimming, kayaking, motorcycling, running, and whatever else takes my fancy. A bit of an outdoors catch-all, I know, but there it is.
• Meet friends old and new for countryside walks, urban exploring, and cups of tea.
• Create opportunities to see big and pretty views, at home and away, whatever the mode of transport.
• Seek out short walks, and do them slowly. While I love the adventure of lengthy day hikes and multi-day hikes, they are filled with such pressure in terms of time and distance. Meandering along for an hour or two is so joyful, I want to make more time for that.
• Add to my repertoire of home cooked meals to make mid-week dinners more interesting. What’s on your meal plan this week?!
• Really (really) up my fitness game by doing all the outdoor activities so I can enjoy more outdoor activities. As in, significantly improve my fitness by getting out and doing more of what I love. You get me.
• Catch up (completely) on adventure journal posts for the coast to coast, overlanding Iceland, and road tripping Portugal, to make room for new projects. Oh, AND, blog my 2023 adventures in a much more timely manner – hopefully all this year!
• Spruce up Splodz Blogz and make an effort to develop and grow it once again (have you noticed I’ve updated my sidebar navigation?).
• Journal. Life is much calmer when I do.

Making it Happen

That’s it. I can’t decide if these goals are a great idea and completely doable, maybe with spare time for a few spontaneous ticks, or a ridiculously challenging selection of items that will only lead to disappointment. I guess we’ll all see as the next 11 months gradually go by. Either way, at least I’ve now set out my intentions, and by doing so, I hope I will somehow manifest these things into being.

As always, by writing about my bucket list here on Splodz Blogz, I’m hoping I might inspire you think of a few things you might want to do this year, and importantly, to start planning to make sure they happen.

And of course, I hope you will be able to help motivate me, make suggestions of what else should be on it (I like nothing more than being sent a random Instagram post featuring a ridiculous activity!), and recommend where/how I might be able to get these things organised. Comment away – your ideas are always welcome.