The importance of bucket lists

Just try and do one thing, even a small thing, that represents

your bucket list.

The term "bucket list refers to the list of things to do in one's life before one "kicks the bucket.
I'm a big fan of bucket lists. I think everyone should have a bucket list and everyone should try and cross stuff off their list.

A bucket list is a highly personal thing, and should be unique to each person. No one is going to be wrong either. But I would add, that it should be somewhat life affirming, life changing or significant.
Whatever makes up your bucket list make it worthy. It should be something so personal, even selfish, because that's really the whole point of a bucket list, it's YOUR list of things YOU want to do, see or experience before YOU die. Unlike in the video games, you only get one life. While there may be regrets on things you've done, there is almost certainly many more regrets on the things you wish you could have done.
It's important to feed and nurture your bucket list. I take accomplishing things on my bucket list very seriously. It's not some flippant excuse to go on a vacation.
The trick is the things on your bucket list should be obtainable and it's probably a lot easier than you think.  There will always be some people are able to do more than you, It's not about them, it's about YOU; some people are not able to even do the things you can. Opportunity, time and money are all measures of excuses. Easy for you, some people say.. you don't have kids. Or I could never take that time off. or yeah.. maybe I'l look in to it next year. People plan and make time for the things they want. Most of us will never have that extra money laying around to do a bucket list thing. Or the time. You have to commit to doing a bucket list thing. Plan for it. Work for it. But that is part of the fun. Setting a goal and actually accomplishing it. It's easy to make a list.. but it is such a feeling of accomplishment when you are achieving  that goal that you put on your bucket list. If you are putting "president of the USA" as a bucket list goal.. well, that's not going to be very obtainable. But if you ever wanted to ....cage dive with great white sharks for example. That can happen if you plan for it. I did it. Get those big goals on your list, but keep an eye on some of the smaller goals, the easy to check off ones. Those are going to be your stepping stones on the way to the next big thing. And more importantly they will be easier to accomplish and once you start accomplishing one thing you'll want to check off another one.
My mom passed away suddenly in 2015. That really drove home the "use it or lose it" aspect of life. A year later I'd embraced  the top of my bucket list... to go cage diving with great white sharks in Guadalupe island, Mexico. Could that money have been saved? Sure, but that's not the point. My realization was that you only have so much time in your life and you really don't know  how long you have. So.. best live a little, other wise what the's point. If your only view of the world around you what you see commuting to the office every day, you need to change that view. If you keep going back to Disney world  every year because the kids like Disney, try someplace else- give yourself and your kids something else Something more. Epcot doesn't count. Change your view. I was in Epcot recently, standing in the Norway area, I was thinking to myself.."y'know... I'd rather just see Norway". I've been out of work for a bit this year. Which means I have the time to do a trip I've always wanted to check off my bucket list. If I was working like I have been, i'd never have been able to take the time off to do it. I'm going to work with elephants in Thailand.  Thailand is very cheap to travel to.  And I have money saved in a travel fund to help out with expenses. Is it counter intuitive to jump on a plane to Thailand when I'm in between jobs? Perhaps. But When will I ever have this sort of  flexibility in my schedule to accommodate  this sort of trip. Plus I ain't getting in younger.

I've accomplished a bunch of bucket list type things already. I've published novels. Been on safari in Africa, fulfilled a childhood dream of going to Loch Ness. I've ridden horses across the Scottish Highlands. I've worn chainmesh protective shark suits to hand feed sharks. I've swam with whale sharks, I've been cage diving with great Whites. I'm going to Thailand to work with Elephants. I've been white water rafting in Costa Rica. All of it was a willingness to commit to doing it. Planning and research. I've saved money. I won't bore you with photos of my me doing my bucket list stuff.  I still have a lot I really want to do. I want to go to Antarctica, I'd love to visit Iceland. I've never been in a helicopter.

In most cases, you can plan a trip for a year from now, putting down a small amount of money for a deposit then for the rest of the year, budget save, and pay it off along the way. Easier to do it in small chunks across a period of time, you don't have a prohibitive larger amount  stopping you and now you have a plan. You have a timeframe, a schedule and best of all you are committed. It all comes down to what do you really want to do?

This is Bucky. My Bucket List shark.  I got him when I was planning my Great white shark trip. He represents my bucket list. #buckyshark.