Bucket List
Get started on your bucket list!
As a Certified Financial PlannerTM professional, one of my responsibilities is to help you plan for your future. Often times when I am talking with clients and doing financial planning, they don’t really have specific goals or ideas for their future – simply because they haven’t put a great deal of thought around it or put it to paper.
Have you heard the term “bucket list”? Do you have one? Do you know how to start one?
A bucket list is simply a number of different experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime. Creating a bucket list shouldn’t be a quick activity where you jot down a few ideas on scrap paper. Instead, it should be well thought out and documented. Here are some steps to consider when getting started:
- Keep your bucket list in a convenient place. If you are a paper person, get a good quality notebook or journal. If pen and paper aren’t your thing, create a Word document or Excel spreadsheet. You can also find websites to help you organize your list.
- Name your list. Give it a catchy name, one that you can remember and give you inspiration. Remember, it’s a list of important goals and ambitions. Here are some ideas to get you started….Inventory of Dreams, My Ultimate To Do List, My Amazing Life to Come.
- Manage the length of your list. A bucket can only hold so much. Don’t overfill it. Keep it manageable and achievable.
- Categorize you list. Break your list down into categories. Consider travel, luxury experiences, learning something new, family/friends.
- Think about yourself. Be introspective. Where do you want to go? Are there any activities or sports you want to try? What would you like to learn?
- START! Once your list is created, organized and in a place where you can reference it often, get started! The items on your list may require planning – short term or long term. Every journey begins with the first step. The important thing is that you just get started.
- Integrate your bucket list into a financial goal plan. Next time we talk or have a review meeting, I’d enjoy hearing about your bucket list! Let’s work on your list together and put them in your financial goal plan.
If used properly, your bucket list can help you prioritize your hopes and dreams and help you stay focused on making them a reality. I’m here to help you!
