Tuesday, March 31, 2015

How to compose your list

A bucket list is a list of things YOU WANT TO DO.
The idea of having 10, 100 or 10.000 is that there are that much things to do, experience, live, learn, see, hear, taste, feel, smell in the world that are pleasurable, enjoyable, lovable, likable... worth to experience. 

Bucket List is not a competition. It's a promise. It's personal.  It's something that doesn't need to have any importance for anyone but you, or any meaning, but it should have both importance and meaning to you. There are no "places you must see, things you should do", just places and things. Totally yours to pick and choose from.

If there were no obstacles; you have all the money you need, all the equipment, all the health and energy and capacity, what would you do? If you weren't afraid of anything...

Think back to when you were a kid. What did you want to do when you grow up?

Whom do you envy?  Start carrying a small notebook with you where you write every time you feel the envy or longing inside you when you see, read or hear about someone doing something or getting something or experiencing something.


Look at these different areas of your life and imagine how a life would be, look, if it was "perfect". How do the people live you wish you were like? What do they do? What do they have in their lives?

Self improvement is often a big thing in bucket lists, even when it's really not part of this. It's kind of assumed that we all continue to grow and learn as long as we live.

Money, economy and financial goals and wishes.

Sensory experiences. Foods you'd like to taste, music you'd like to hear... 
Are there some concerts you'd like to attend?
Any shows / performances you'd like to see?
Any events you'd want to witness? From birth of a foal to space rocket launch.
Festivals and happenings? "I was there doing that then..."?

You win the lottery of the century and get so much money you can't even count that much. Money is NEVER EVER going to be any problem to you. What do you do?
What would you do if you won million dollars?

How about relationships? Family, parents, siblings, children; other relatives? Friends? Neighbors? Community? Colleagues? 
How about love and romance?

How do you want your home life to look? Where do you live? How is your home decorated? Do you live on the road?

Would you like to learn to cook or bake, or perhaps brew your own beer or something?

Do you want to simplify your life, organize and declutter? Or perhaps get a collection like Jay Walker or Alex Jordan?

You happen to rub something in an antique store, and a genie appears. The genie gives you three wishes. What do you wish?

Fun and games? Hobbies?

What would you create? Food? Art? Stories? Crafted items? 

What would be an adventure to you?
What would be an experience to be proud of?
What experience would be thrilling?
What would you want to experience if you knew no-one else would ever know...? (You don't even need to publish those wishes... just try to find a way to do it...)
Witnessing what would make you happy just remembering it?

Imagine you received an anonymous letter to your birthday.
You open the letter and read that you happen to share a birthday with an eccentric billionaire and have been chosen among all who were born the same day you were born to receive a gift, an amazing experience, mind-blowing, fantastic, a dream come true!
What is it?

Health and fitness?

Physical goals are also a biggie in the world of bucket lists. A lot of people would like to run a marathon, for example.

Travel is the #1 theme of bucket lists. Where would you travel, if money wasn't an issue? (Or anything, like the bother of traveling, hygiene, food, sickness, political situation...) What would you like to see? Which festivals and street parties would you like to have been part of?
Are there some historical places you'd want to see because the event was important to you?
Are there any places you'd like to see because of a family connection?

How about classes and courses, education, learning new things and skills?

Are there any animals or plants or geological formations or natural phenomenon you'd like to see?

Do you have any career wishes? Status wishes?
Highschool reunion. You are exactly what you want to be. What and who are you? Rich? Beautiful? Successful? In your dream profession? In a dream relationship? Good and kind? Active? Passive? What?

So - another visualizing exercise... Close your eyes and relax...
You are happy, relaxed, enthusiastic... you are smiling, and have no what so ever negative feelings or thoughts. It doesn't matter what others think. It doesn't matter if others like it. 
What are you doing? Reading? Painting? Gardening? Cooking? Playing with your pet?


How about spirituality?

What would be meaningful and important? Who are your heroes? Whom do you look up to? Gandhi? MLK? Princess Diana? Mother Theresa? Who in the world history has done something extraordinary, heroic, important, powerful and amazing, and what is that they did?

Would you like to donate and volunteer and share caring and kindness in your community or in the world?
Are there any injustices and problems you would like to straighten, and what could you do about them?

How do you see the future and what can you do today to prepare for that future?

Are there any sports you'd like to try?

Who are your ideals and role models? Whom would you like to meet? With whom would you like to talk?

What could you do to be more like them?

Imagine you are a grandparent and tell stories of your life to your grandchildren. They look up to you, expectant, excited, and they sure have reason to, because you have had some experiences... you have lived... you have stories to tell!
What are they?

So, what are you afraid of? Write down 10 things you consider would be the "worst things possible", and... face your fears. Create yourself a 12 steps' program to follow so that in a year you are less scared of those things. Think if you were participating in Fear Factory... what would you meet that would stop you? Don't let it...
What dreams would you like to see come true?
What skills would you like to acquire?
What hobbies would you like to pursue?
What accomplishments would you like to achieve?
What fantasies would you like to act out?
What things have you seen other people do or accomplish and you thought, “Wow, that’s pretty cool! I’d love to do that!”?
What achieved challenges would give you the biggest confidence boost?
Are there things you would really, really like to be good at, but you doubt your capacity to do so? Go for it...
What if you were to die in a year? What would you do the last 12 months of your life?
If you have lost someone, what do you wish e had done before e died? How do you wish e had spend the last 12 months of e's life?

If you woke up tomorrow and didn't know anything about yourself, what would you like to find out?

What are you putting forward to tomorrow, or "when you have time" or "when you take the vacation" or "when you are retired"? Are you saving something for "that special day"? That special day is today. Perhaps tomorrow, if you are reading this on an afternoon or evening :-D

What do you regret? It's never too late. Not even if you regret not participating in the Olympics...

What would you want people to say at your funeral?

Read this article: How to Turn Goals into Strategies. It's actually wrongly named, as it's about the exact opposite - how to turn strategies into goals. It asks the very important question. What is it you wish to reach with the goal? How do you think you'd feel the day when you reach the goal?

"Get married" might actually mean "find someone who loves me for the rest of my life and share my life with him/her". Getting married is easy. Staying married and loving your spouse as your best friend, your confidant, your favorite companion, your support and comfort, that's difficult.

"Get fit" might actually mean "have energy to do all the things you want to do". Or "get sincere compliments for my looks and believe them", or "get small enough to buy the clothes I want".

I also recomment the following articles at DaVinci Dilemma - even if you don't consider yourself "multitalented"
How to take inventory of your talents
Stumped Talents - poll the audience
Make your mess your message

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