Monday, August 19, 2013

What To Consider When Fulfilling Your Bucket List

By Helga Stokes


A bucket list was initially a tool used to encourage terminally ill patients to set goals for what they wanted to achieve in the time they had left. They usually put things on their list such as visit a special place, try a new activity, or meet someone famous. Often with the support and assistance of family, friends and medical staff they could achieve their goal. Once you have drawn up your agenda, fulfilling your bucket list can take planning, commitment and determination to achieve the goals.

How many items are included, is a personal choice. Keeping the number of tasks on the agenda to ten or twelve, helps to keep you motivated. Giving yourself too many tasks can demotivate you. Try to come up with a mix of tasks ranging from easy to complex. If you start with some of the easiest tasks, such as making that phone call, or tackling that clear-out of a wardrobe which you have been meaning to do for ages, the feel good factor will help motivate you to try another task.

Again, there are no hard and fast rules about timescales for completing any tasks. However, you may find it helpful if you can say that you want to complete these tasks in the next year, ten years or by the time you reach a certain age. Leaving the timescales open ended could see you always putting some of the tasks off and never achieving your goals.

You can start with some fairly straight forward goals that you know you can achieve without feeling too far outside your comfort zone. Stretching yourself to successfully complete tasks helps to boost your self confidence and motivate you to try other things. A positive mental attitude and using verbal motivators such as I will instead of I would like to do something helps to project a more positive attitude.

Some goals may require planning and research before they can be completed. Others involving travel, or purchasing or hiring equipment for an activity will have a financial impact and you might want to set up a savings goal. You need to take into account any external factors or arrangements you will need to make when setting your goals.

You can share a personal list with someone you trust. They may be able to support and encourage you with some of the tasks. It is not unusual for two or more in a group of family or friends to compile a list for the whole group.

If you need inspiration about what to include, a search on the internet will provide you with hundreds of ideas. Try to come up with diverse range of tasks that you really want to do. Keep in mind that our interests and hobbies can often change with time.

Fulfilling your bucket list will challenge physical and emotional strengths. Successfully achieving a goal should leave you feeling good, and help to boost motivation to tackle the next task. The whole experience needs to be a challenge and an opportunity for you to try something new.




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