Have You Started Your Bucket List Yet?
Most people know what a “bucket list” is, for those that don’t … it is a list of things you want to do before you die. You can also find the movie, “The Bucket List” with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman and give it a watch. This will give you the basics.
Motivation
When I was putting my list together, I was worried that I would fall victim to that old “procrastination” monster. You know the one that keeps you thinking about goals but not actually taking any action on them. I really had to work it out in my head and create a mindset of small steps.
Fear
I think ultimately fear is what gives birth to that procrastination monster, and is also the big “thing” that gets in the way of us really stepping out there and trying new things. We start to worry and then get stuck in the analyzing mode. How much will it cost? How long will it take? Will I die trying this? What will others think of me?
Action
I know it is extremely hard sometimes to get past those feelings of fear, but you CAN do it. It starts with shifting your mindset and then building up courage. The fear doesn’t actually go away. You just make the decision that your goal/result/task/ desire is much stronger than the fear.
Triumph
There are a few steps that you need to walk yourself through that will get you heading in the right direction. I would highly recommend keeping a journal to help you dig into your mind.
- Ask yourself, “Where are my fears coming from? Past history in our lives, or maybe all the people around us saying we can’t do this or that. You need to discover just where the root of these fears lies.
- Accept fear as the price of success. Trust that everyone has fears and many people can never break free of it, but there are those that do keep moving forward.
- Light a fire. Light a fire of passion inside of you that burns away the darkness of fear. Take control of the things you can and have faith that everything else will work out as it should.
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ The danger lies in refusing to face the fear, in not daring to come to grips with it. If you fail anywhere along the line, it will take away your confidence. You must make yourself succeed every time. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
The List
Let your mind go. Give yourself the freedom to think about all the things you’ve always dreamed of doing. Then write them down.
Inspiration for Generating Your Own Bucket List
- Travel to Tuscany to take cooking lessons.
- Learn how to knit or do woodcarving.
- Re-read, “War and Peace” and “Great Expectations.”
- Volunteer for a mission in Haiti.
- Go a whole week without television.
- Hike at least part of the Appalachian Trail in the U.S.
- Learn the Japanese language.
- Get down to your goal weight to see what it feels like.
- Take a vacation alone to a place you’ve always wanted to go.
- Go on a road trip with your family.
- Spend a week at a health spa.
- Go vegan for a month.
- Cook every recipe in your favorite cookbook.
- Walk 2 miles a day five days a week for three months.
- Learn to operate a sailboat and then go sailing.
The items on the list can be anything and everything under the sun! I have my list broken out into categories: travel, fitness and new skills are just a few. Here is what I have for new skills.
Learn new Skills
- Horseback riding
- Float plane
- Motorcycle License
- Hunters License
- Archery
- Kite surfing
- Paddle boarding
Now What?
After you’ve made the list, the only thing to do is Go For It!
Each week or month, strive to carry out an item on your Bucket List. Then, cross it off your list. You can add to your list as you think of other activities you’d like to do before you’re no longer on this earth.
Life is for living and what better way to do it than following your dreams and really enjoying it by experiencing it. You’ll become infused with energy and excitement at the idea of achieving another activity on your bucket list. With your bucket list, you might be compelled to discover an existence you’ve only fantasized about.
Feel the fear and do it anyway!
(written by Lori Smith and shared from PickTheBrain)
