The Importance of Having a Bucket List
In case you haven’t heard of a bucket list, it is a list of all the things you want to do before you kick the bucket.
If you’re not keen on the name Bucket List (for obvious reasons) you may like to call your list another name. Some options could include:
- Life or Dream List
- Amazing Experiences to be had
- My Life’s Must Dos
- Meaningful Life Goals
As we head into a New Year many people are so over making New Years Resolutions simply because they don’t work. Using one day of the year to make a resolution for the next 12 months seems illogical.
So why is having a Bucket List so important and why is it important for your weight loss and weight management journey?
Having short and long-term goals gives us something to move towards and allows focus to be reset when a short goal has been achieved. It also allows us to dream and live life to the fullest.
No matter how small a goal may be (it could be donating blood quarterly) it should be on your list if it is meaningful to you. Sometimes the simplest goals are the most rewarding.
For many, starting on a weight loss journey can seem hard (especially if they are not following a smart program), and from time-to-time plateauing, set-backs, having a bad day(s), scales going up not down, life stresses – life in general gets in the way.
If you have one or more other goals to look forward to it may take the stress off your weight loss journey and refocus on a more pleasurable goal.
There are many ways to make a Bucket List and here are a few suggestions to get you started.
- Think back to when you were a child and the things you wanted to do with your life.
- Places that you have always wanted to visit but not yet made it to, including locally.
- Experiences that you want eg visiting Thailand and enrolling in a cooking school.
- Ask friends and family members for suggestions.
- Include a variety of options – travel, fitness, health, a chance to help a charity, career, financial, education, just for fun, personal growth, nature – are just a few.
- People you would like to spend more time with and how you want to spend your time.
- Use your sense of humour and imagination to broaden your list.
- Get ideas from reading or watching documentaries, travel shows or Pinterest.
- Write your eulogy – how do you want to be remembered? (Tip: You do not want them to say “She had lots of potential.”)
- What stories would you like to share with your grandchildren?
- If you won $1million today, how would you spend it? What would you do differently?
- If money was no object and fear was not an issue what would you do?
- Watch the movie The Bucket List with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.
- Challenge your comfort zones – Dream Big.
Once you have made your list, you may want to organise into seasonal, yearly or numerical lists as well as short term and long term. Then decide what are the most important and move them to the top of your list, or the top of each category.
Either use a journal or scrapbook or digital options including websites like BucketList.org or Bucketlistjourney.net or apps iWish or BuckitDream.
Sharing with a spouse or friend and having clearly defined goal dates for short and long-term goals will make you accountable, keep you on track and stay challenged.
Have FUN putting your list together and DREAM BIG.