NicoleDo you have a bucket list? It’s been close to 10 years since the movie of that title starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman came out, but it’s still a term I hear regularly. A bucket list is that list of things that you want to do at some point in your life. Hopefully you realize you don’t need to wait until something drastic happens in your life, but you can go out now, today, and start doing things you’ve always wanted to do.
We usually think of bucket list items as being epic and expensive – like traveling to remote places. But it doesn’t have to be. Why not have an in-town or in-state bucket list? Are there state or city parks you’d like to visit, museums to check out, or perhaps restaurants and coffee shops you want to try?
Some Coaching Tips for Your Bucket List
Laura Vanderkam writes about having a “List of 100 Dreams” in her book 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think. We can have big dreams of things to experience, like those destination races, but don’t forget about the little ones of interesting things to do. Some of the small ones are easy to fit in, even for people with busy schedules. You sometimes go out to eat, so instead of going to the old standby, go to a new place. Or drive ten minutes off your normal route to check out that coffee shop everyone raves about. You’ll be surprised how enjoyable it is to do these little things.
If you do decide to tackle a larger list item, do your homework first. Talk to people who have done it before. Take the time to plan it so you can thoroughly enjoy it. Unless you are already well-versed in the activity you will be doing, hire a coach or guide to get the most out of the experience.
I’ll use the IRONMAN as an example. I’ve talked to a good number of one-time IRONMAN athletes who had an event on their bucket list, signed up, didn’t really know what they were doing for training and had a not so pleasant race experience. Now, even for a coached athlete an event like that can go awry, but you’d be much better prepared to handle the challenges the day throws at you if you were trained by a professional.
Get out there, start checking out new places near where you live, and think about how you might prepare for your next big challenge or adventure!
Tell me, what’s on your bucket list?
Nicole
