Have you made a bucket list? Perhaps you’ve got some vague ideas about what you want to do in your life rolling around in your head. Making a bucket list requires you to stop and think about what your desires and priorities really are. It encourages you to learn more about your world. It gives you something to dream about and reminds you to live your life to the fullest. And it’s fun! So grab a notebook and pencil or start a file on your computer or tablet.

When you start making your bucket list, don’t place any limitations on yourself. Let your mind range as far as it wants to, and just go for it! Don’t worry about prioritizing, either—just put down everything you can think of that you want to do, from personal goals to causes about which you’re passionate. The list can be as long as you like.

Put your list away for a while, a few days or a week. Chances are you’ll think of other items you want to add, so keep your list handy.

Then come back to it and go into a more realistic mode.

My Bucket List Wishes

• What are the prerequisites for each item on your list?
• Quickly write down what it will take to accomplish each goal.
• Suppose you want to write a novel.
  • Have you decided on your subject matter, done an outline or started creating timelines or character sketches?
  • Where you start will be determined by what you’ve already done.
  • Would joining a writing group help you achieve this goal?
  • If so, research some in your area, and make joining one of them the first step.
• Now start to put your bucket list into some sort of order.
• Are there time limits attached to any of your goals?
• If so, move them higher on the list.
• For example, if you want to run a 5K, schedule it around a particular race you want to enter.
• That will determine the timetable for your training.

Read through the whole list and think about the top 5 things you most want to do. If you have a burning desire to go to Italy, make that your No. 1 goal and start writing down what you need to do to make the trip a reality. Do you want to travel solo, with a partner or on a guided tour? How much will it cost? How much money do you need to save, and how long will it take you to do that? Get some concrete plans on paper. Read some books or websites about Italy and start to plan your itinerary.

Make it Happen

Grab opportunities when they arise, and put yourself in a position to recognize them. Is an airline offering a deeply discounted fare on flights to Rome? You’ll never know unless you’ve signed up for emails listing fare reductions, or you’re regularly checking travel sites such as expedia.com, cheaptickets.com and kayak.com.

When you get to this stage in planning, you’ve moved beyond the dreaming stage, and you’ll be on your way to making your dreams a reality! Go out and do it!

When you get home from your Italy trip, celebrate your accomplishment. Have some friends over to view a slide show of the photos you took. Host a dinner party with an Italian-themed menu.

Sometimes accomplishing a goal will lead you to another one. Maybe you’ll decide you want to learn Italian, or that you want to see more of the world. Next stop, India? Once you’ve run a 5K, what’s to stop you from doing a half marathon? There will always be more mountains to climb, more personal challenges, more ways to make the world a better place. The aim of your bucket list is not to complete it. The goal is to find meaning and fulfillment in your life. Keep adding to your list, and 20 from now, you’ll have a lifetime of memories to share and contemplate.

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