Bucket List
I have a love/hate relationship with bucket lists.
I strongly believe it is great to have goals, and that goals need plans. But what happens if you don’t hit everything on your bucket list? Or what if your bucket list changes over time? Can you have more than one bucket list going at a time?
Each person has to define and contemplate the importance of a bucket list to them.
How I define a bucket list: It is a breathing and living document with (for the most part) no target date towards completion. And my bucket lists include travel goals and personal growth aspirations.
What’s on my bucket list? Well, it’s to live by these three principles -
To experience as much as possible
To make connections all around the world
To make the world a better place.
Not too typical, and I’m breaking the SMART goal mentality, but it works for me. Under each of those umbrellas are more items.
To experience as much as possible. I have a book that has every city and country I want to go to sorted alphabetically, and each city has its own page with my ‘must do’s’ and ‘must see’s’ and ‘must experience.’ Some places are on that list, such as ‘Montana, Hawaii, and Alaska to finish visiting all 50 states’ and ‘countries 84 to 100 to hit that milestone.’ Some ‘checklist’ items are on that list as a guide, such as to visit every Olympic host city and every presidential library. These items influence how I act and where I travel to.
To make connections all around the world and to make the world a better place. My style of travel is not just to see the big touristy items (as nice as that is) and take a cute picture and leave. I want to talk with locals, learn about them, their culture, and their experiences; as when we find common ground, and can understand our differences, the world becomes a better and more peaceful place.
No two people will have the same items make up their bucket list as each person will have their own experiences and motivation, but when making a bucket list, evaluate if this is something that will enhance your personal growth and make the world better, and let that guide you in determining what is worthy of your time!
