How to Create a Bucket List

The term bucket list was first popularized in 2007 by the film, 'The Bucket List' starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. *Spoiler alert* In the movie, two terminally ill men escape a cancer ward to go on a road trip with a list of to-do's before they die. Back in 1999, the screenwriter Justin Zackham was trying to come up with a phrase for a checklist that he referred to as, “Justin’s list of things to do before he kicks the bucket.” Once the list was complete, he decided to name it “Justin’s bucket list.” After a few years passed, he realized his idea might make for a good movie, so he began writing. The rest is history!

Fun fact; The term bucket list originally meant: A list of things that one would like to do before dying—that is, before “kicking the bucket.”

Over the past decade, the term bucket list has exploded in popularity and has been used by travelers and people of all ages to describe their fantastical dreams of exploration. Social media has become saturated with varying forms of the saying, and there are hundreds of articles describing the 'Perfect' bucket list. Recommendations for ideal travel locations and amazing feats of accomplishment can be found with the click of a button. Yet these endless possibilities pose a new challenge: How can someone come up with a narrowed down list of the best vacations and goals to accomplish when there are so many to choose from?

I have always enjoyed detailing life plans and creating an organized way of keeping track of everything that I do. This gift/curse (however it may be seen) has provided me with various processes that I have used to optimize goal setting and life planning. However, I have always struggled to create a list of vacations and life goals to complete before I, "kick the bucket." That is when I stumbled across the bucket list and began trying to develop my own.

I started by reading into the terms origins and diving into way too many articles about the best places to go, and top things to do in life. There were way too many options, so I decided that I would come up with an optimized process for creating my own personal bucket list. The development of this process was a struggle at first, but the result has been rewarding. The lessons that I have been able to implement have provided me with clear direction and exciting possibilities.

If this all sounds like something that would be interesting to create, keep reading. If you have not made one yet, I 100% recommend that you continue to read. The process of creating a bucket list instills a transformative mindset that will help you prioritize future dreams and aspirations while providing lasting excitement. This list will create a foundation for goal setting, and outline your journey towards continual improvement.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” - Tao Te Ching

*Warning* Creating a bucket list will not be easy. It is not for the faint of heart nor for those who lack patience. Creating this process took me time, and I quickly realized that the mindset of getting this done as fast as possible would not fly. It became apparent that I would need to deeply reflect on my personal aspirations for life in order to figure out why each idea would bring me joy. However, I realized that as I put more time into the process, the better the list ended up turning out and the more meaningful the trips became.

With that being said, a personal bucket list should be just that. Personal! Try to ignore the outside noise and what everyone else is presenting. Make it what you want, and how you want it! If something doesn't interest you, don't include it on the list. By creating a bucket list, you are ensuring that you will have no regrets later in life about missing out on the trips and journeys that would have brought you joy. Here are the 5 steps to creating a bucket list.

The 5 Steps to Creating a Bucket List

1. Find an ideal location

Let's make the first step easy in order to get the ball rolling. One of the most important steps in creating a bucket list is to record it somewhere meaningful. This sounds simple right? It should be, but most people struggle with following through on this critical step. Some believe they can just remember it. Others will write down a preliminary list and then forget where they put it. The point of this step is to ensure that the list will be seen consistently.

Studies have shown that people are 33 percent more successful with achieving their goals when they write them down, share them with the world, and are held accountable with weekly updates.

The location of your list can take the form of a physical piece of paper placed in a visible location, or through notes in a quality journal or notebook. If working with a computer or phone is preferred, word documents, note apps, and/or excel files work great. Alternatively, sites like Bucketlist.org or BucketList.net provide a great resource for note keeping. With these sites, it is possible to create a profile that contains a record of goals, achievements, and even provides opportunities to meet with others who want to achieve similar life goals.

I use Apple Notes to store my personal bucket list. I like it the best because I am able to pin the note at the top of the app. This gives me daily access, and provides an easy option to update it if needed. Apple's connectivity between devices also allows me to see the note on my computer, phone, or watch so that I will always be able to refer to it no matter what device I am using.

2. Brainstorm destinations and accomplishments

In order to identify dream destinations and life accomplishments, a brainstorming phase needs to occur. This is the fun part! Have dreams of visiting far away places? Write it down. Are there any places close to home that look exciting? Add it to the list. Start thinking of vacations that have always been of interest to you. My rule of thumb is to include any idea that pops into your mind and creates a feeling of excitement. Don't forget that the brainstorm list is just a list of dreams so no idea is too big or too small.

If you struggle with brainstorming, go on to Bucketlist.org. Open social media and look at places friends have traveled to. Become inspired by others who have completed some of their bucket list goals. Other sources of inspiration include magazines, bucket list hashtags, and diving deeper into favorite movies or shows. Think about locations in the shows that left an imprint on you, activities the various characters did, and elements of the storylines that were intriguing. There are an unlimited amount of resources full of great examples.

Physically recording the brainstorm bucket list in a solid location (hopefully chosen during the first step) represents a commitment to oneself, and turns those ideas that are written down into tangible goals. These ideas are no longer wishful thoughts but doable aspirations. If you hit a wall, go take a break and look back at the list at a later time. It is always possible to add more ideas later.

The length of a brainstorm list is completely decided by the creator. There is no magic number of places to travel to or feats to accomplish. This is the time to allow your imagination to run wild. Do not put limitations on something that is meant to unravel your dreams. With that being said, I recommend having a minimum of twenty goals for destinations, and twenty goals for accomplishments. Remember that this is a minimum so try and come up with as many as possible.

These ideas should also have varying levels of difficulty. They can range from hiking a small trail behind your house, to running a triathlon. Visiting Australia to going to the park next door. Some ideas included in the brainstorm may be checked off in a weekend, while others will be lifelong journeys. It is important to be aware of this going in. Including short-term goals that can easily be completed will provide a sense of accomplishment and help provide motivation for the other ideas that might take years.

Once your brainstorm bucket list is in a good spot, move on to step 3. Bask in the glory that comes from creating a list of dreams that could one day become reality. By continuously working toward (and checking off) each idea, it will become commonplace to turn the sense of achieving into a good habit.

3. Narrow down the options

The next step in the bucket list process is to narrow down the brainstorm list into a top 10 list. To do this, figure out the places and accomplishments that you are most looking forward to as you read over them. Ask yourself why it excites you and what completing that idea will do for you. For example, say you are interested in traveling to Alaska. Some questions to contemplate include, "Why do I want to go to Alaska? What will going to Alaska provide me with?" This will help to narrow down your choices. Since I recommend creating a list for places to visit, and accomplishments to complete, make sure to pick 10 items for each list.

Remember that there is no need to organize any of the goals in any order yet. That will be done in the next step. It is also important to store the remaining brainstorm list in a safe place. Once your actual bucket list becomes inevitably complete (due to your increased sense of adventure that has stemmed from achieving your dreams), it will come time to create a new bucket list. That is exactly when it will be valuable to pull back out the brainstorm list so that it is possible to reuse your old ideas instead of starting from scratch.

You now have a top 10 list. It is time to create order and finalize your bucket list. Move on to step 4.

4. Create Order

Finally! A narrowed down list of your top 10 dream destinations and life goals to accomplish. Now is the time to really dive into each idea and decide the order in which they should be completed. From 1 to 10, determine where each idea should rank. 1 should be the idea that is the most exciting to you and the one you want to complete first while 10 is the idea that still presents a high level of excitement, but can be saved until the end. This numbered list will provide a structure that can be followed when trying to determine what vacation to take next. Each idea on this final list should be what you are looking forward to, but it is important to know which will bring the most joy and excitement.

5. Go out and do it

Congrats! You now have a bucket list. Your very own. The best part is getting to actually do what you planned. Look at the number one item on your places to visit list and plan a vacation. Go do it! Create a plan for how you are going to accomplish your number one goal. Go get it done! With all the time spent figuring out what to include on the bucket list, get out and enjoy the fruit of your labor.

“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” - Michael Jordan

As you are traveling along this bucket list journey, keep updating your list. Continue to add more or change the list as you feel. As life goes on and something is accomplished on the list, cross it off and add the date it was completed. Replace items on the list that are no longer relevant. This is a living document that should follow you through life. Only do what you feel you would enjoy. This will make life so much more enjoyable!

Following this process has given me a path to follow and vacations to look forward to. I have been able to explore areas of the world that I previously could only dream of and have planned more trips that I get to look forward to. I hope you are able to find as much joy in the process as I have. Now get out there and explore this wonderful world.

Until next time,

Tim Phillips

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