Have you ever gotten to a point in your life where you re-evaluate your life direction? What do you do to when you feel “stuck” in life? Or maybe things are going ‘ok’ but you know there could be more to your life. Where do you get the guidance or inspiration to break through to life’s next major milestone?
It’s good to have dreams, something to hope for. So where do you start bringing your dreams into reality?
“A Goal is a Dream With a Deadline”
Don’t get caught in the trap of being “too busy for your dreams.”
Life’s too short. The most common ‘regret’ of seniors when asked about their lives was that they wished they had taken more chances.
It’s more easily accepted as natural when older relatives pass away from old age and health challenges. But when life is cut unexpectedly short, it can be a harsh reality check and it becomes more clear what’s really important.
For example, one of my best friends died when we were 14. Even though I had lost my grandfather years before, this was very different. It was the first time in my life when I significantly began to question everything.
I lost another childhood friend of mine at 19, along with a couple fellow Marines before I was 20. This happened at a point in my life where I was questioning my life direction. And as a few more years passed it occurred to me that we appreciate life a lot more when we’re near death. It was around this time that I wrote out my first ‘bucket list’.
If you’re not familiar with a bucket list, it’s basically a “wish list” of things you want to do, experience or accomplish before you die.
My sister-in-law, who was a single mother and younger than me, died in a car accident when she was only 30. I began to truly understand the meaning of gratitude around this time. No matter how hard you think you may have it, someone out there would give anything for your life.
There’s no better time than now to live the life you intend to live.
Have you lost someone close to you? What goes through your mind in terms of your own mortality? Do you think about your life purpose and life meaning? I know I did.
In fact, I’ve even done an exercise where you imagine or write your own eulogy. The process helps identify your passions and will help you make your own bucket list.
There’s even a great movie called The Bucket List. I highly recommend adding it to your collection!!
One of the best books I’ve read is called 5 things you must discover before you die.
It’s an incredible book you really must have!
I don’t always recommend a lot of books. But, I will go out of my way to recommend some gems, and this is one of them.
Do yourself a favor. Make your own Bucket List and go out and do it!
I promise you, one day you’ll look back and be glad you did.
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The idea of creating this kind of bucket list has been presented to me a couple of times and I’ve just “shelved” it. The first time it seemed somewhat macabre. The second time the person who presented the idea associated it with getting rich before popping off, and that seemed antithetical to the way I see myself getting the most out of life. However, I have to admit that the way you present the idea is far more compelling to create my own bucket list. The hard part is to keep the goals realistic, and that my idea of wealth is in human potential rather than money. Thanks for the article.
I made my first bucket list when I was about 20. It was a list of things I wanted to do/have/accomplish by the time I reached 30. I can happily say that those 10 years have made a great ‘story’. Can’t wait for the next 10, 20, etc!
Life’s too short, and we’re all worthy of our dreams. Go out and get ‘em!
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