Why a Bucket List?

When I was 16, I created my first ‘to do’ life list. At the time, I had written ideas of things to do before I was 30.

At 19, just before starting university, I updated my ‘to do’ list, determined to get the best experience I could.

Then, life happened. I graduated, got married, bought a house, got a ‘real’ job and I forgot about my list.

Jump to the year 1999. I was so scared! Not of the Y2K paranoia that consumed most people but what loomed in my future – November 2000. It would be my 30th birthday. I thought about my list that had disappeared years ago and recalled a few items on the list…climb the Eiffel tower, visit Scotland, etc., and I realized that I had not accomplished everything that I thought I would by 30.

My husband came to my rescue and turned our home and backyard into a "Bring Scotland to Me" party. It was a great night and I loved it, felt much better and swore that I would go to Scotland before I was 40.

Then, life happened. I changed jobs, bought a new house, had a baby and forgot about my list.

Jump to the year 2010. My parents had retired and were moving from the house I had grown up in. They packed up almost 40 years of history and dropped a lot of those boxes on my doorstep.

I laughed quite a bit at the stuff inside those boxes. My Fisher Price Little People airplane (circa 1972), the Donnie & Marie Osmond dolls in their fine purple clothes (all the rage in 1977), my collection of Star Wars action figures (with all 3 Yodas 1978-82), my E.T trading cards (the collection completed in 1983), my diaries of various years from 1980-84….and my book of poems. A book that I jotted down my thoughts in from 1985 to 1989. A book that I thought was lost. A book that on the back page listed my life to do’s.

Ever feel your days are passing by without any tangible output to speak of? We’ll it hit me hard…I’m almost 40 and I still hadn’t climbed the Eiffel tower or visited Scotland.

I have lived my life by setting goals, framed with a certain social context…education goals, career goals, marriage and family goals, financial goals and so on. But personal goals....uh? mmm?

The beauty of a bucket list is it opens up your mind to set totally context-free goals where you list down anything and everything you ever wanted to do, no qualifiers needed.

So, now that I had my old list, how do I move my list from reverie to reality?

1. Update my list.
2. Find a way to track my list so I don't lose sight of it again.
3. Create a way for me to put the plans into actions and to be held accountable.

And, here we are. Take a look at My Bucket List and let me know if you have one.