From travelling to setting career goals to doing so many fun things and pushing your comfort zone!
A decade ago when I first started this blog the first thing I talked about after books was my bucket list. And oh my, how it changed my life! I was a shy kid, even though from a young age I followed the beat of my own drum. To be honest, I think that exact combination got me incredibly far. I pushed my own boundaries by staying curious and finding a way to do things my own way. Following my dreams, setting goals and achieving them became my motto in my teens and I haven’t looked back since. In order to keep pushing my boundaries and making my dreams happen, I decided that I should make a bucket list.
And why should you have a bucket list? The very words “bucket list” can stir up some pretty heavy-duty fears. It can be a reminder of our own mortality, since the list is mostly defined as a list of things to do before you die. As someone who has looked dead many times in the eyes and has lost people from all ages, I am very aware that our time is limited. My bucket list gives me some sort of guide to achieve what is most important to me before it is too late.
Whatever your goals or dreams are, there are benefits to turning them into a bucket list. This blog contains my top 10 benefits I gained since I created my first bucket list in my teens. I know that a well-crafted list can push you to lead your version of an ideal life. If you’ve ever asked yourself “why have a bucket list?”, may this blog give you the answers.
1. Put what you really want in perspective
Why would I allow society’s conventional expectations get in the way of my true dreams? I have never dreamed of working the same office job for the next twenty years, getting married, buying a home and having children – all without giving it a second thought because that is just what we are “supposed to do”. I don’t want life to lead me, instead I want to lead the life I want, need and dream of.
So, ask yourself: What do you want?
The process of writing a bucket list forces you to take a close look at what it is you truly desire, to analyse where you are versus where you want to be. Career, partner, children, home? But it may also be something entirely different. Once you think about your future and how you want it to look, your dreams and what type of experiences you want to have will be brought to the forefront. By setting goals and consistently reexamining your goals, you gain a self-knowledge that will propel you in the right direction.
2. Gets you up in the morning
When you are stuck in the rat race of day-to-day life, it can be difficult to get excited about the day that lies ahead. The fast pace of life is exhausting, so why not spend that extra hour “chilling”? But ask yourself if bedrotting and doom scrolling are really that relaxing. A bucket list gives you a reason to spend that extra hour a day working, putting extra effort into your dreams coming true. Progress doesn’t come from thin air. It’s all those little steps that you can do every day. You will see more progress than from all those so-called “important meetings” at work. Those little wins make you excited for each day and you might start to see life in general in a different light.
3. Focus
Something that I noticed once I stepped into my late twenties is the importance of focus. From a young age I had my targets, put goals into place and shooted my shot at dreams. Having a bucket list created a focus in my mind that they won’t teach you at school or work. You basically created a system since you now have a sense of direction that allows your mind to focus on the target, instead of getting sidetracked.
4. Motivation
Without motivation, your dream will be nothing more than that. It’s starting to sound like a domino effect isn’t it? Making a bucket list puts everything in motion, but you do have to start doing and what is more important than having motivation? The goals you set after making a bucket list are the root of your motivation. I mean we all know the effect of crossing things off from any sort of list. It really doesn’t matter if it is your daily to do’s, grocery-shopping list or a bucket list.
5. Pushes the boundaries of your comfort zone
Whenever I am not travelling I am a homebody. It’s quite funny that contrast. When I leave the house I am social and ready to take on the world. But when I am home I love the comfort of it and to stay at one place. My bucket list pushes that boundary and makes me want to go outside and do all the things in order to reach my dreams. Yes, by going out of your comfort zone it creates stress, risk and possibly even a high anxiety level. This makes it very easy to never push the boundaries, because it’s comfy inside, the safety of your little bubble. I get it.
The thing is, if you stay inside of these boundaries you’ll be missing out on the incredible benefits of taking a risk. It can lead to personal growth from expanding your mindset to teaching you valuable lessons and increasing your confidence. So it even benefits your daily life! Meanwhile your comfort zone expands bigger and bigger. That’s when the world is truly at your feet.
6. Always in motion
Even when I am at home nowadays and not travelling I find myself always in motion. Picking up my language studies that prepare me for future trips. Or cooking the meals I had abroad because I miss that trip. Also you will see me prepare for my next travels during my many long evening walks so I can take on that city trip walking at least 10 km a day. By making it a habit I made sure to lower the risk of getting injured. Doing these little things are the sprinkles in my daily life when I am not on the move with a suitcase in hand, but still I am in a constant motion.
7. You find yourself
I think I speak for most of us when I say that standing out as a kid felt like crime. “Be normal” society would say to those who wanted to get off the beaten path. The first 6 points on this list brings you to point 7. You did the things you wanted to do, and oh my! The things you have learned and in the middle you found yourself. As a sculptor you worked on yourself and there it is, a beautiful sculpture in a museum called life that is filled with memories, life lessons and stories. You officially broke out of the mould of society and instead became the chisel yourself.
8. Creates a legacy
When I picture myself as an old woman, I see a woman with long white grey hair full of stories that most people don’t even believe. Nevertheless I can’t wait to tell those stories to all my nephews, the sons of my friends (sorry currently there are all boys!). I want to be remembered as the woman who just went for it. Made even her most outrageous dreams come true, just because she believed she could. This blog is also a testament to that. I owe this little place on the internet so many of my achieved goals.
9. Being at peace
At the ripe age of 23 I did most of the things on my bucket list. I can’t explain how much at peace I felt by doing so. Everything else that I will do in life feels like an added bonus. When writing this post I am 28 and in this year of life I accomplished my last dreams I had when I was a kid, as in 7 years old me. Whenever the GPS of life wanted to get me on a different path, I took back the wheel, steering it to my own dreams. It’s a bumpy ride, but worth it since the peace I feel can’t be explained in words.
10. Allows you to dream bigger
Most people when they create goals, they are influenced by their current financial situation and personal time restrictions. Overflow their daily lives, but underestimate what they can do long term. Safe to say that that is not sustainable. What is sustainable is to change up the little things in daily life, like I mentioned in the first points in this blog. Once you create these habits in order to achieve your bucket list, it actually becomes an invitation to dream bigger. You see possibilities that goes far beyond the limitation of fear, time and money.
There are so many reasons why you should have a bucket list, but these are my top 10 benefits I got out of it. This doesn’t account for all the crazy stories I accumulated, the memories I created and the skills I developed. Make a bucket list and fill it with dreams that have no boundaries; things that scare you, makes you laugh until your cheeks hurt and inspires you to be yourself. Keep track while you also write your feelings down in order to never forget your dreams.
Love,
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