I thought I might add a bit more detail about why I created a “bucket list” almost 20 years ago.
When I turned 30, my wife threw a surprise birthday party for me, which was a big deal as the two of us are about as unsentimental as a couple can get (we didn’t even have a camera until our kids were born – 14 years after we married). I hadn’t thought about my age for almost ten years. I was suddenly doing a lot of thinking – and was instantly depressed. My generation didn’t trust anyone over 30 and I had just become untrustworthy. As a matter of fact, all I could think of was that my life was all but over (I had strange thoughts about mortality at 30) and I had nothing to show for it. I felt that I had made no real impact on the world and that I was not living up to my potential.
I languished in this semi-depression for almost a year before I decided to do something about it. This is when I created what we today call a “bucket list”. My list consisted of fifty things I wanted to accomplish before I died. Fast-forward almost twenty years and I find myself with an almost completed list (two items left). I guess it’s time to either make a new list or die (I’m thinking I’ll go with the first).
Although I won’t bore you with my first list, my categories were:
1. Self-improvement
2. Investment in others
3. Family
4. Travel
5. Professional life
I’ve been reflecting on how I’ve met some of these goals and, although I included a section on self-improvement, I now wish I had paid closer attention to who I wanted to be rather than what I wanted to accomplish. However, I feel I am getting closer to the person I should be and want to be in spite of myself. All in all, it’s been an enjoyable journey – and much more satisfying than just wandering through life.
