Don't Give Up on Your Bucket List
What’s on your bucket list?
Eat green curry in Thailand?
Run a marathon?
Golf in St. Andrews?
Finally finish War and Peace?
Most bucket lists involve big, once-in-a-lifetime goals.
There’s nothing wrong with that. Bucket lists are great.
But so many bucket list goals feel lofty and unattainable—and we give ourselves permission to avoid a sense of urgency because we “have our whole lives” to accomplish the list.
And then time passes, and they don’t get done.
We’d like to propose a seasonal bucket list—in addition to the “life” bucket list. These can be smaller goals with a higher sense of urgency and a specific timeline.
Each year, you could have four bucket lists, one for each season. The lists can change from year to year.
Your summer bucket list might include:
- Get on a boat at least once
- Eat a S’more
- Read a mindless book
Fall could involve picking apples. Winter could be making a snowman, going skiing, or bundling up and going somewhere beautiful to watch a (late!) sunrise. Spring might be a weekend away or a road race.
The list is up to you. The important thing is that they’re things you enjoy (not things that you feel like you should do or need to do—that’s a to-do list, and that’s not what we’re talking about). They should also be things that are reasonably attainable given your lifestyle, budget, and any other constraints.
A seasonal bucket list will add meaning to your days and a sense of accomplishment, and it will also infuse enjoyment into your life—especially into seasons that you might otherwise dread. (Hi, winter.) Tell us what’s on your seasonal bucket list!
