To Bucket List Or Not to Bucket List?

So with 461 days to go, how well am I doing with the list? Well not so good in terms of crossing things off, but I am happily heading towards toadsville at the moment as the list is actually serving its purpose well. I wrote the list of 30 things to do before 30 to help get me out of a rut and motivate me to try new things. And after never having been to Harrogate before in my life I went there twice last month, once to sample chocolate cake at the famous Betty’s tea shop (yum) and again for a spot of pampering at the Turkish Baths (aah). Both were things I wanted to do even though there weren’t on the list. So this is a small success.

My list isn’t a Bucket List of things to tick off before I die, it’s a list of things to help me make the most of my life and do more things, including taking up opportunities that come my way (like having my photograph taken with the Bradford Bulls team earlier this year). Its also a bit different to a Bucket List because it has a specific time limit, (as opposed to just ‘before I die’) also it doesn’t feature any of the big stuff I still want to do like see the pyramids or the Grand Canyon, ride the Orient Express, or watch a show at the Moulin Rouge or my ultimate must do - go to Disneyland! But all these things need money (and vacation time), so I’ve compiled my list with cost and time in mind to make it a realistically achievable list and to motivate me to do little things every day (including take care of my finances) and make the most of my weekends.

My list is all about things I want to do, not things that other people are doing or things that other people expect me to do. Which is why you won’t find running a marathon or parachuting on it! Apparently a new trend in the USA is the Anti-Bucket-List (according to Glamour magazine’s November issue) a list of things you’ll never do, some examples were ‘I’ll never climb Mount Everest’ and I’ll never bungee jump’ and whilst I don’t have any urge to do these today I wouldn’t like to say ‘never’, it seems such a waste of energy to put together a list of list things you don’t want to do!

Another take on the Bucket List is the idea of a List of One put forward by Jonathan Fields in his blog (www.jonathanfields.com/blog/the-bucket-list-lie/)
I think its great to do one thing a day, and it isn’t the first time I’ve come across it, but personally I need the bigger picture - a list of goals to work towards. My quest to become a brand manager has also spurred me on to develop my social media and ‘e-skills’ to this end I try and do one thing a day to work towards this goal whether it’s finding new people to follow on twitter or reading a ‘how to blog’ or contributing to a groups discussion on linked in. Today I figured out how to add a countdown clock to my blog, my first gadget! (or widget? – there is so much to learn)

Fitness is another biggie, and on Monday my aim was to set out my goals and objectives for #6 Getting Fit starting with a 5 day guest pass at Fitness First from vouchercodes.com . Unfortunately my body rejected the idea with a mammoth migraine, so back to the one thing a day I’m doing 30 mins of yoga a day until my body recovers, for some reason I feel like I’ve been battered with a base ball bat, probably form trying to hold up a head that feels as heavy as a bowling ball!

So I end up doing loads of ‘one things’ to bring me closer to my 30 list!

Do you have a Bucket List or a List of One? Or a 30 b4 30 project (or 40 b4 40 etc…)
Or are you an Anti Bucket Lister?
Let me know how you keep motivated to achieving things on your list!