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The ability to successfully afford dreams, desires, and personal growth to take flight, one must root action steps within a strategic plan. Goal setting is a common word within our nomenclature, but all too often, how goal setting is executed will determine success, or failure. A 1979 Harvard study, articulates a poignant difference between how an individual approaches goal setting practices. In the longitudinal research student participants were asked one simple question, “Have you set clear, written goals for your future; and, made plans to accomplish those goals?”.
The breakdown of the results reflected that 84 % of the 1979 Harvard MBA graduates did not have any goals established for their near- and long-term future. While, 13 % of the class did have established near- and long-term goals, however, those goals were NOT in writing.
A Wise Man Once Said:.
“To Live Is The Rarest Thing In the World. Most People Exist, That Is All.”.
Creating a bucket list to inspire your life is a straightforward process that is easy, and fun. The results of which can lead to an infused life of deeper happiness, shifting one's life from a “human doing” to a “human being.” To start your journey of self-exploration, I highly recommend defining what the phrase “bucket list” means to you. Is a bucket list a representation of a narrow list of activities you must complete later, somewhere down the road, when most of your life is spent? Or, does a bucket list take on broader meaning for you, where your can incrementally shift your life to fulfill the legacy you wish to leave behind? Or, you may find that your definition exists between these two poles, forming a hybrid of personal, business, and social achievements that will help you live into a more dynamic life across the decades.
Once you have defined your unique meaning of “bucket list,” get out your piece of paper, journal, computer, tablet, smartphone, or any other media that represents a way to document, in written form, your vision of experiences you wish to attain throughout your life. To bring color and form to your vision, I would highly recommend incorporating the following steps into your brainstorming process:.
1) PURPOSE - Establish what you want out of life, and for each want you have, assign the “whys” behind what you want. Determining your “whys” helps create traction for each goal, and allows you to reflect on whether each goal you are establishing for yourself is truly an experience you “must” have; or simply sounds like a good idea, but will fail to materialize since you don't have a compelling reason to fulfill the intended vision.
2) DIRECTION - Determine your end in mind. In other words, who is the individual you wish to be at the end of your life? What would this person look like? Sound like? What would this person's value system be? What knowledge would they have gained? What friends would they have? How are they loved by their family? Ask as many questions as you can at this juncture, then work backwards from your ideal image of yourself, to pinpoint activities, experiences, and belief systems that will be the building blocks to help you arrive at the destination you have in your mind's eye.
3) PRIORITY - Once you have roughly plotted out a timeline based upon working backwards from your end vision, you will need to determine immediate horizons, mid-term horizons, and long-term horizons. Within each of your time horizons, you will need to determine which goals take on more significance for you? In other words, which goals already get your blood moving as you stare at your ideas on paper? Essentially, you want to front load those goals that truly inspire you, and you strongly believe you can fulfill within the immediate time horizon. Why? You ask? Because, it is vital you establish a consistent pattern of successfully completing each goal in the early stages, in order to build a sustainable commitment to your bucket list over the years to come.
A Wise Man Once Said:.
“You Are What You Do, Not What You Say You'll Do.”.
By this point you should have a strong framework of where you are currently, where you would like to be in the future, the “whys” driving you to achieve each goal, and your time horizons. What maybe somewhat gray at this time, is the crispness of the picture you are trying to create of your soon-to-be life. To help you explore all the aspects of life you would like to assign to your bucket list, please find below some thought provoking questions to ask of yourself.
1) How would you like to be remembered? Years from now, when stories are being told by your descendants at family gatherings, what distinction(s) would you like to hold? 2) What if you were to die tomorrow? What would you wish you could do before you die? 3) What would you do if you had unlimited time, money and resources? 4) What have you always wanted to do, but have not done? 5) Any places, locations or countries you want to visit? 6) What are your biggest goals and dreams? 7) Who do you want to meet? 8) What achievements do you want to have? 9) What experiences do you want to have? 10) What skills or activities do you want to try or learn out? 11) What would you like to say/do with other people? Family? 12) What do you want to achieve in the different areas of your life? Social, Love, Family, Career, Finance, Health, Spiritual, Travel, Personal Challenge/Growth? 13) Lastly, what do you need to do to lead a life of the greatest meaning.
Goal setting is a common word within our nomenclature, but all too often, how goal setting is executed will determine success, or failure. In the longitudinal research student participants were asked one simple question, “Have you set clear, written goals for your future; and, made plans to accomplish those goals?”.
While, 13 % of the class did have established near- and long-term goals, however, those goals were NOT in writing. Essentially, you want to front load those goals that truly inspire you, and you strongly believe you can fulfill within the immediate time horizon. Because, it is vital you establish a consistent pattern of successfully completing each goal in the early stages, in order to build a sustainable commitment to your bucket list over the years to come. reead more about 10 Most