A bucket list is a list of experiences and achievements an individual would like to accomplish before they die. It can be smaller goals, like getting a job you’ve wanted for a long time, or perhaps something much more ambitious, like visiting Machu Picchu or witnessing the Northern Lights.
The term really became part of everyday conversation when the movie The Bucket List came out in 2007, featuring actors Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. Technology has even started to become intertwined with the concept, and platforms such as BucketListly and mobile phone app iWish have been created to help people all around the globe accomplish their dreams.
However, a bucket list might sound a little too whimsical for those who consider themselves more rigid and pragmatic. It might seem a bit overwhelming or intimidating for introverts.
Though, as I said, your list doesn’t have to be a globetrotter’s guide to discovering the world. It’s about writing down what personal goals you have, whether big or small, and getting to experience the joy of accomplishing them throughout your amazing, fragile and beautiful life.
Here are four simple ways to start crossing things off of your list.
1. Put money aside
Is one of your goals expensive? Whether it’s paying off student loan debt or flying to Bali, Indonesia, you’re going to have to cough up some serious cash. By slowly putting away some money each month, you’ll have a fair bit of savings at the end of the year; if you continue to put money aside, after a few years, you’ll have quite a bit towards your goals financially.
One way to save money to put aside is to stop subscription services and only keep the ones you really need. For example, maybe you decided to give Netflix a whirl, but you don’t watch that much TV and you’re not a film buff, but you figured you’d keep it because what is 8 bucks a month?
In the long run, it can be a lot. That’s roughly $96 dollars a year you’re looking at paying for something that you don’t really use. That can be pocketed and saved for something more meaningful to you.
The same goes for the platform you’re using for your own website (that is no longer active, so cancel that subscription!) or other services like being an AdoreMe VIP member and paying for monthly Microsoft office access (try using free products like Google Docs instead).
Other ways to save include keeping the change in your purse (it really starts to accumulate) in a bag or jar. Once you’ve collected a lump sum, count it all up in a Coinstar machine at your local grocery store. You can also use coupons at stores or rewards points that are offered on some debit and credit cards.
2. Seek support
One of the coolest thing about technology mixing with the concept of a bucket list is that platforms such as BucketListly allow you to tell the world about your dreams and engage with other users who have similar list items, or even very different ones, and are still full of the same ambition and hope that you are.
iWish is another app that can help you fulfill personal goals. The app features beautiful pictures for inspiration and motivation to fulfill your goals whether they be wellness, travel, career-related or other. It also helps you to track your progress in reaching your goals.
Support can be in the form of family, friends, online users and even pictures and inspiration boards. An inspiration board is a really great project for those who enjoy crafts, and it only takes a short while to do.
One weekend, set aside some time to take a poster board or larger piece of paper/cardboard and some old magazines. Go through the magazines and cut out photos that represent whatever you are trying to attain, whether it be traveling to Tahiti for a honeymoon, trying to lose 20 pounds or trying to pay off credit card debt.
Make a collage from these photos and embellish it with all kinds of materials! I love to use patterned construction paper, plastic gems and stickers.
3. Use the law of attraction
This process of making the inspiration board falls into the practice of visualization, which is said to be an incredibly effective way to draw the things you want into your life. When we visualize, we think about what we want, whether it be through an inspiration board, mediation or other means.
When we focus on imagining what it would feel like and how happy we would be to attain whatever goals we have, we draw them into our lives. Energy is a very powerful thing!
Law of Attraction is a phenomenon that became increasingly popular with the release of the book The Secret. The philosophy behind the law of attraction is that we create our own realities, and, thus, we can draw good into our lives if we want, but we can also draw negative feelings and events if we choose to linger on them (i.e. sickness or losing money).
When trying to accomplish your bucket list, take 10 minutes every morning or evening and think about what you want to experience. If you really want to go on a cruise through the Greek Isles, think about all the sights, tastes and scents you’ll be able to experience.
Think about the breeze going through your hair and the smell of the ocean while you’re on the ship. If you want to experience this with someone, like your partner, imagine what it would be like to have them by your side.
Check out this YouTube video on how to use the law of attraction:
4. Remember to start small always
You don’t have to set incredibly large goals and then feel unhappy when they do not happen quickly or entirely. For example, if you’d like to go on a trip through Europe, aim to set aside enough money to see just London or France.
Breaking larger goals into smaller ones can help you to feel fulfilled and show you that you can accomplish parts of your list.
Count every step of the way as a triumph. Just saving enough money to do something on your bucket list should make you feel good.
*Life’s a journey
The most important thing to remember while trying to attain the things listen on your bucket list is that life is a journey. It’s not only about what we are able to achieve, but the lessons we learn along the way, the people we meet and the experiences we go through.
Sure, getting to go to Cancun and swim in breathtaking blue waters would be fantastic, but all the little steps along the way, if we stop to notice and appreciate them, will make the experience richer and our lives just a little more whole.
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