For this week’s Mental Sunshine, I want to talk about bucket lists.
The term “bucket list” was popularised by a 2007 film starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.
It comes from the old idiom “kick the bucket”
Essentially, a list of things you want to do before you kick the bucket!
I’m willing to bet you might have a few ideas in your head, as to what might be on your list
But do you have a physical bucket list.
And for a lot of people, their bucket list is a bit loose on details:
I want to go to South America…
I think it would be cool to run a marathon…
My friends all want to try skydiving and it looks fun…
Having a vague list of ideas is all well and good – but it’s not going to get you ticking things off your list!
First things first – let’s create a proper list!
You can do this with actual pen and paper, or just open a note on your phone.
Secondly – don’t just write down something you think it might be cool to do.
Write down what you want to do and why – in detail
So I want to go to South America becomes I want to visit Peru because I’ve always wanted to see Machu Picchu
Think about the details of what you want to do, not just broad strokes.
Visualise yourself doing this
And remember – these are just things you want to experience.
Every item doesn’t have to be a life-changing trip of a lifetime!
You might put that you want to get to know your elderly parents better before they pass
You might say that you’d like to know how it feels to swim in that lake down the road where you see people every Saturday morning
You might mention sleeping under the stars
Yes, skydiving and zipwiring can go on there too if that’s your thing –
A skydive over The Palm in Dubai is certainly on my list,
But only if it’s something you really want to do; not just because your friends want to do it, or the photos would look cool on social media!
Fill your list with things you want to experience – things that will be fun and bring you joy
And then – the most important part – start ticking things off!
Don’t wait
Life is short – none of us knows what’s going to happen tomorrow
You probably can’t go to Peru this weekend – but you could begin saving and planning for that holiday of a lifetime!
You could resolve to visit an elderly relative this weekend and ask them questions about their life.
Even the planning of these activities – big and small – will bring more mental sunshine into your life!
So – what’s on your bucket list?