A New Kind of "Bucket" List

There is a movie out with Jack Nicholson Morgan Freeman about creating a "bucket list" of all the things they wanted to do before kicking the bucket. Okay this post will not be about that just so you know.

Instead, I want to talk about a different type of bucket list.

I got this idea from a little business book I picked up at the library. It is entitled, How Full is Your Bucket: Positive Strategies for Work and Life by Tom Rath and Donald Clifton. I am not sure why I pick up these types of books as I am not in business. I also read the infamous, Who Moved my Cheese book. Maybe it is the big print and the instruction manual type of advice they provide. I read the bucket book a couple of years ago but if I remember it right, the book was all about filling up your life with positive things. There are many people or things in your life which will drain your bucket but it is up to you to fill it.

I adapted their business model for my own personal life and began visualizing my life as a bunch of buckets. I know...it sounds silly but bear with me. There is merit to this visualization.

Take all the elements of your life which are important to you. They could include such things as:

* Family
* Work
* Friends
* Hobbies
* Blogging
* School
* Music
* Home maintenance
* Making new friends

and etc.

Whatever is really important to you in your life...people and/or activities will be your unique set of buckets.

Now is the time for self reflection and analysis. How much time and energy do you put into each bucket? Look at the reality of your life and determine if things are off balance. Are you spending too much time at work and not enough at home? Are you spending too much time dealing with one family member and neglecting everyone else? Are you spending too much time on the computer and neglecting other hobbies and interests?

How do you want things to be?

So what I do for myself from time to time is I get a little notebook and I designate a page or two for each important element of my life. Then I divide the page in half and I have two labels. One side is for listing what I am already doing to fill up that bucket. The other side is for ideas of what I want to do in the future.

For example I have a page or bucket if you will for my physical health. I want to be as physically healthy as possible. So on the side of what I am already doing I write things like...I am exercising at least three times a week. I am taking a multi-vitamin and so on. On the other side of what I would like to do in the future, I have things written down like...I would like to try yoga and I would like to investigate taking other supplements such as fish oil capsules.

It is a way to visualize your life and to see in a factual way, how you are actually going about to achieve balance and meet your goals.

This is a way for me to think preventively so that I can combat my depressive times. It is a way for me to take control and work on the things I can do. Even completing one task in any of the buckets is a good step in the right direction. Also seeing what you have already done and are doing, makes you feel more successful and like going on because you aren't dwelling on all that you can't do.

I hope this idea is helpful. I will keep the ideas coming...I have many!