Two days
back I was reminiscing about my activity filled early Bengaluru days and Ram
was asking me why I am not active now and whether it was the marriage that
changed me. Truth is, I had stopped doing many of those activities much before
marriage, may be the day-to-day life just got in the way. And of-late, the
pandemic had put some serious limitations on living the life that my heart
wanted to live, and I thought it is high time I do something about it. So, I
have decided to start living my bucket list by taking at least one step towards
my goals every day.
I do have
a much bigger bucket list, but I thought of taking a subset to be completed in
a year. I am just listing down few of my bucket list ideas and examples as
inspiration if any of you want to create your own cool bucket list. Most of my list is based on things I am reluctant to do (like interacting with strangers) or to nudge me to do things I used to do earlier (photography, art, volunteering etc.) Basically,
try new things, take a risk, overcome a fear, accomplish a task, pamper
yourself - all tiny steps towards a more well-rounded you. Some of it might
need some planning, some will only take a few hours out of our day, but at the
end of the year, when we look back at all that we have accomplished, it will be
worth it. So, make a list of the things you would really like to do and promise
yourself to get started on one task each week.
- Invite someone new to go for
a coffee.
- On holiday, take a photo of ten
strangers and try to get a little story or snippet to go with each.
- Ask a senior citizen, to
tell you about what it was like when they were young
- Meet a Blog Reader in person
(Anyone game? Of course, my treat)
- Give lots of (genuine)
compliments. If you have a nice thought about someone, let it out!
- Perform a random act of
kindness for a stranger
- Become a mentor to someone
younger than you.
- Take all old books and
magazines to a local waiting room, for others to read
- Clean out your closet,
donate everything you have not worn in the past year to charity.
- Declutter ten items
- Volunteer for a day
- For a period, a week, a month,
or all year, only shop locally. Purchase free-range, ethical, and
fair-trade goods, buy from independent retailers, at farmer’s markets and
give handcrafted creations as presents.
- Pick a random novel from a
bookshop. Read the first paragraph. Do something (anything) triggered by
those words.
- Grow a Beautiful Garden
- Take an art class. (May be https://www.lovelifedrawing.com/how-to-draw-faces/)
- Make a scrapbook of a
memorable occasion
- Take the camera with you for
an entire day and capture everything and anything that takes your interest
- Every day of a week, capture
a moment of your day with a drawing or painting
- Create a piece of art & sell
it
- Print and display the
digital photos
- Make a new website
- Make someone a birthday or
celebration cake.
- Surprise Someone
- Take photos of ten favorite corners of your home.
- Visit your elementary teacher
- Get back in touch with an
old friend
- Write a handwritten letter
to someone
- Get a professional body massage
- Book a meditation or yoga
retreat
- Organize a professional photo
shoot
- Create a family logo/monogram
- Run a marathon
- Take an academic course
- Clear credit card
- Take a vacation from the
world for a day. Turn your cell phone off.
- Keep a diary of all
your thoughts and feelings. Write every time you feel like it.
- Visit a different country
- Go on a drive in an area nearby
that you do not know well. Explore hometown like a tourist.
- Sleep under the stars.
- Watch the sunrise and sunset
on the same day
- Take a coastal road
trip
- Take the train journey
through a scenic route
- Visit a new tourist
attraction
- Do a tour you have never
done before
- Stay in a unique hotel
- Go on a girls only trip
- Stay up all night talking
- Go on a wildlife safari
- Explore scenic biking trails
- Finish a classic novel
- Plant ten trees
- Make a list of everything that you have done and take yourself out to dinner to celebrate your accomplishments.
