{"id":8168,"date":"2020-01-03T12:40:24","date_gmt":"2020-01-03T18:10:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.journohq.com\/blog\/?p=7061"},"modified":"2021-04-14T08:56:02","modified_gmt":"2021-04-14T14:26:02","slug":"the-step-by-step-guide-to-writing-your-bucket-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.journohq.com\/blog\/the-step-by-step-guide-to-writing-your-bucket-list\/","title":{"rendered":"The Step-By-Step Guide to Writing Your Bucket List"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"bucket<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

At the age of 26, Ted thought he had it all. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

But little did he know his world was about to get shocked to the core. He had just grown and sold a company for a boatload of cash. Bought his family houses, a fleet of cars, and was traveling the world. Things seemed like they couldn\u2019t get better…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until one fateful day, he not only had a very close brush with death, but he spent a harrowing 35 minutes waiting for it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was 30,000 feet up, and his plane was going down. And as the minutes ticked by, and as he prepared for a crash landing, he realized he would die unhappy: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs you are praying and thinking, none of the things that you had were the things that you were going to miss. It was not like \u201cOh, if I only bought that third car.\u201d So, you just go through this and think \u201cI just have so much more to do…\u201d <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

After luckily making it out alive, one of the first things Ted Leonsis did was create his, now famous, \u201c101 things to do before you die<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was years later that I found myself asking the same questions Ted was forced to ask himself as he propelled back to earth. Mainly, what makes a good life, and what does that look like for me? I\u2019m not sure what it was, but I came to the realization that although we may be breathing, it does not mean we are actually living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMost men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with their song still in them.\u201d <\/p>Henry David Thoreau<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The status quo is fundamentally unremarkable; therefore, we need to live awry\u2026 I know you agree, otherwise, you wouldn\u2019t be reading this right now. And writing your bucket list is pretty much the number one way to do this because it shifts your life in a couple of profound ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, it holds you alone accountable.<\/strong> It\u2019s your list, and yours alone. Anything and everything you add is something you are choosing to accomplish someday, regardless of anyone else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, it creates a blueprint for an intentional life. <\/strong>You may have heard me beat the drum on \u201cliving an intentional life\u201d before, and that\u2019s because there\u2019s no other way to LIVE. Creating a bucket list puts you in the driver\u2019s seat of your short life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that\u2019s my hope for you with this guide…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That you will dig deep, find out what makes you happy, build out a killer bucket list around those things, and work towards accomplishing them. I promise you that doing this WILL drastically change your life and that you\u2019ll never look back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But First, before we dive in, let’s go over a few helpful things that will ensure your list doesn’t fall by the wayside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s not all about travel. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"bucket<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

I get it… You’re a travel junkie just like me. So, it’s going to be hard not to fill your entire list with far-off places and experiences you’ve always daydreamed of. But it’s not all about travel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you’ll soon see, we’ve broken things based on main categories like family, learning, health, etc. So, don’t forget that just because you can’t be traveling year ’round it doesn’t mean you still can’t be hammering out some awesome bucket list items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a living document. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Things change… and that\u2019s good. So, your bucket list will have to follow suit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, I used to have \u2018bike through India for 4 months\u2019 as a bucket list goal. But considering that it would be a bit tough with two little kids, I will either toss it, alter it, or keep it for later knowing it might not happen. And I\u2019m fine with that. When life changes, change your bucket list. This is absolutely cool, as long as you\u2019re still actively doing it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mix in the small with the big. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Similar to it not being all about travel, it doesn\u2019t all have to be wildly large goals. So, consider adding smaller items\u2014things you\u2019ve always wanted to do but just haven\u2019t gotten around to yet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe it\u2019s planting a tree, learning to sew, paying for the person\u2019s coffee behind you in line at the cafe, or running the pool table. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same goes for adding things you want to do in your hometown or nearby because it\u2019ll keep you progressing… And this will keep you activated with your list, while you simultaneously work towards the big ones (and it\u2019s so much fun crossing off an item, even if it\u2019s a small one!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be specific. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In order to actually check off your goals, they need to be specific. For example, \u201close weight\u201d is a good goal, but it\u2019s not nearly specific enough to add to your list. And that\u2019s because you have no idea when you\u2019ve got there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, \u201cdrop to XXlbs\u201d is perfect (if the weight is your goal, it might be body fat %, etc.) and you\u2019ll know exactly when you can cross it off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do it for YOU. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This list is about you. So, don\u2019t add items based on whether other people will think they\u2019re cool. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the litmus test: Would you still do it if you couldn\u2019t tell another soul? Do you really want to climb Everest? Do you really want to skydive? Do you really want to read Infinite Jest? If so, add \u2018em! If not, skip them and add items that get YOU jacked up, whether anyone else on earth knows about it or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Add items you\u2019ve already done. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you have already accomplished stuff you would have added to your bucket list, then toss them into the mix with a big fat checkmark beside it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s cool about this list is that over time it\u2019s a great way to reminisce about the things you\u2019ve done, the experiences you\u2019ve had… all of which will have had a big part in shaping who you ended up being as a human (and I\u2019d bet a better one with a list than not).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be accountable. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To really spark a fire under your tush, find accountability. Inside our Life Listr<\/a> app, we have a step in the creation of a new goal that allows you to share that goal with friends or family over Facebook or Twitter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t have to go as far as posting it for everyone on your social feed to see (although that\u2019s not a bad idea), but the premise behind it is important: get someone to hold you accountable (or join you in that goal) so you don\u2019t let it slip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s Get Started… It\u2019s now time for the real fun stuff – writing your bucket list!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Follow these steps to create a bucket list of your very own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Give It A Name<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"give<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

For more than any other reason, it\u2019s just fun to name your list. If you remember, Ted Leonsis named his \u201c101 things to do before you die,\u201d which is a classic title (although I\u2019d change to \u201c… before I die.\u201d) but also has a definitive number, which you might not want to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some other ideas are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n