Is Having A Bucket List A Good or Bad Thing?

I was recently talking to a friend about retirement. The term “bucket list” came up. What is it that I still want to do and see? she asked. Did I have places on my so called bucket list? This term has been thrown around so much in the last decade. Books are written about it, tv shows focus on it. So I started thinking — Is having a bucket list a good or bad thing? Does it help us set goals or set us up for disappointment and failure? So…

What is a “Bucket List?”

notebook opened on desk near books — Photo by Ann Nekr on Pexels.com

“It is a list of things that one has not done before but wants to do before dying.”www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bucket%20list

Ok. Got it. But can one get too hung up on these goals, or follow someone else’s goals because they think it’s the right thing to do? Also, why should you make a list of things you want to do BEFORE you die? You should just want to do them to enjoy life, right?

So I began to wonder when society started getting hung up on this term and using it to fulfill their goals in life.

So where did this term come from?

Origins of “Bucket List”

This term supposedly was popularized by the 2007 movie “The Bucket List.” Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson played terminal cancer patients on a road trip with a wish list of things to do before they “kick the bucket.” And this film opened the flood gates. Our society took hold of this term and ran with it.

Even President Obama had some fun with the familiar two-word phrase: “bucket list.” “After the midterm elections, my advisers asked me, ‘Mr. President, do you have a bucket list?’” Mr. Obama said. “And I said, well, I have something that rhymes with ‘bucket list’….”https://www.wsj.com/articles

But is using our mortality as a way to reach our goals really the right approach? I’m not so sure about that. So I thought about the positives and negatives of this way of thinking. Read on…

Positives of A Bucket List

Living your life to the fullest while you’re here on this earth. By creating some sort of list, you are making sure that you try to do everything or almost everything you wanted to do without any regrets.

Setting goals is never a bad thing. I’m a planner and a list maker. Always have been. Sometimes, keeping a diary or log of your goals is a good thing. It keeps you organized and focused on what you want to accomplish.

You have done some research. And that’s a good thing. Creating a goal list means you’ve delved deeper into what this world has to offer and the opportunities afforded to you.

For example, when planning a travel journey, being the best “travel architect” will result in the best trip. Read my post “How To Be A Smart Travel Architect” by clicking here:https://followmyyellowbrickroad.com/?page_id=414

Negatives of A Bucket List

Focusing too much on our “end” can sabotage the “now.” Creating a list of things to do BEFORE we die highlights our mortality. But is that how we really want to enjoy life? Checking off items on a list? A balance is key here.

hot air balloons in the sky — Photo by Taryn Elliott on Pexels.com

Creating a list is because it’s the “in” thing to do. Peer pressure and keeping up with the Jones. All expressions we’ve heard of. Sometimes doing something because it’s the “in” thing or popular flavor of the month doesn’t mean it suits everyone.

You may feel obligated to stick to a list that doesn’t apply anymore. Amending and updating your goals as you go through life is necessary. After all, people change and their goals change. A bucket list may get you hung up on experiences you feel obligated to complete, not an experiences that you’re craving at the moment.

You may eliminate certain goals that you think are too small. For many, a bucket list may contain goals that are out of reach or just plain unrealistic. Perhaps, hot air ballooning or a cruise on the Nile is not a reasonable item on your list if you’re terrified of heights or won’t get on an airplane to fly somewhere.

I truly understand that it’s not a bad thing to dream and reach for the stars but we also need to be realistic in what can be accomplished, don’t you think?

So , perhaps we need to..

Change the term to one with a “happy” connotation.

I don’t want to make a list of goals, dreams and aspirations because of my ultimate death — for when I “kick the bucket.” If I’m going to name my life’s plan, I want that name to have a more pleasant and positive tone. For me, a list helps enjoy the here and now with a look towards the future as well. So perhaps, changing the list name for you may be a better approach. For me, I call it…