The Bucket List
I am one of those people that has a list for everything, a holiday list, a shopping list, a to do list, a Christmas present list. I like to think that I am organised but most of the time I don’t refer to these lists, I simply work from memory in the supermarket, or end up sending more cards to those people I have just met or doing something other than what is on my to do list on my days off. Writing a list still however makes me feel better. If all else fails, i.e. my memory, I still have it as a back-up and I can transfer things off a list I have not actioned to one further down the line.
Lists are everywhere and if you can benefit from writing one it is a good idea! If you are a list maker, then why not write the list of all lists, 10 lists to write before you die! Well Your Life coach, life coaching and inspiration website has actually released this.
It all arose from the life coach Dee working with a client in his nineties. He was fond of reminiscing about his past and wanted to write it all down before he forgot. It was also a point of reference for his daughters after he had passed away and something to remember him by.
He found that each of the events in his life fit snugly into categories and he spent some time putting as much as he could into each one.
So below is the list of all lists. So try it out, do it for yourself, or a family member. It is something personal, to you so if you are writing it for yourself now, it can be subject to change as you get older.
Life holds many opportunities, such as new places, people and achievements so this can help you keep a record of all these things.
- 10 people who most helped me in my life- people are an essential part of our lives and if we think hard enough we can think of how someone helped us or what impact they have had on our lives. This can be the opportunity to realise the affect they have had on us and give us a chance to show our appreciation of this.
- 10 most memorable places I visited –Where have you been on holiday, or visited with your family or loved one, maybe it was where you were proposed to?
- 3 best things I ever made – Everyone has made something in their lives, if it was when we were young if we are not overly creative now or if we are, it could be the kitchen you installed in your new house, a poem, or home made card for someone. It is important to remember what you have done with your own fair hands.
- 5 best days in my life – These can be obvious things like wedding days, when your children were born or something more subtle, like your first kiss, the first time you met someone or a memorable birthday.
- 10 best friends I ever had – We all have friends from when we were little, university, work, some you may call every day, some you may Facebook or email, some you may never talk to anymore, but they are still in your memory.
- 5 best journeys I ever made – What journeys have you had? A car journey, a boat journey, a plane journey? Why was it so memorable? Was it the people, the things you witnessed as you went the excitement of where you were going?
- 10 things that gave me most pleasure – (Keep it clean!) We have all had presents that have been well used, as we have yearned after them for so long or something we have bought for ourselves that we put into practice over and over again. Some things may be due to a spontaneous moment, sometimes they are because of a recommendation or sometimes we are not expecting them to give us pleasure but they just do.
- 5 best books/movies/TV series in my lifetime – We have endless lists of everyone else’s top rated books and movies, but do you always agree? If not what are your personal favourites? Why did you like them so much? Did you watch them with someone important? Do they just make you laugh even after repeats? Do they just give you a familiarity from watching them so often?
- 5 best gifts anyone ever gave me – This is similar to what gave you the most pleasure, but think about what it was given to you and by whom. Was it someone who had spent a lot of time on it, was it something that you had not hinted at but they knew you enough to get you it anyway?
- 10 Things I wish I had done but didn’t – Try not to look at this negatively, it can be something that you dreamt of doing but you didn’t have the time or the money or the opportunity to do. If you still have the inclination you can do the thing on this part of the list, it is also important to remember that we all have things we wish we could have done, but the likelihood is we did something else instead, try not to think of it as regret, but simply that your life took a different course at the time.
For each point justify why you have chosen everything you have,. If you have this it means more if you are leaving it as your legacy for someone else!
Female First Lucy Walton