F2P's Bucket List

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...and what's on it, off it and completed so far.

My Bucket List

Why have a bucket list anyway?

Life is short and it's shorter for some than others. Do you want to gamble on which group you're part of?

The bucket list idea was popularized in the 2007 movie by the same name.

I've maintained a bucket list since my dad passed away suddenly at age 46. His passing made my then-19-year-old self realize that I'd better make sure I get my fair share of living.

My list has evolved over the years, as some aspirations were progressively replace by others, but I can say that it has served as a useful tool to remind me to prioritize potential experiences that could enrich my life and help me become a better a person over time. An insurance policy to safeguard me against the potential for life to pass me by.

Here is a snapshot of my list circa 2014*, including some completed items and those I have yet to cross off the list.

The F2P Bucket List

Still On The List

  • Travel: Thailand, French Polynesia, Curacao, Hawaii, Australia
  • Witness the hammerhead shark migration
  • Do some "slow" travel (3+ months)
  • Write a book (in progress)
  • Help at least 1,000 people live life on their terms
  • Lead a minimalist lifestyle
  • Become a millionaire
  • Start a foundation
  • Read 1,000 books (over 280 and counting)
  • Help build a Habitat for Humanity home
  • Learn to make short movies (via iMovie or Final Cut Pro)
  • Build an iOS app
  • Hike a demanding trail
  • Complete a 300-pound dead lift
  • Try surfing/wind surfing - whichever comes first
  • Write a will (yes, I know!)

Taken Off The List - Can't See Myself Doing It Anymore

  • Learn German
  • Become a surgeon - I'll tell the story one day...
  • Learn to ride a unicycle (not a joke)
  • Buy a commercial property

Crossed Off The List - Been There, DONE That!

  • Compete in Olympic lifting (February 2015)
  • Start a blog (February 2014)
  • Read over a book a week for a year
  • Learn to scuba (2001)
  • Dive with whale sharks (dreamed up in 2000 and completed in 2007)
  • Own a sport motorcycle
  • Skydive, bungee jump, fly in a glider & parasail 
  • Go on a hot air balloon ride 
  • Try zip lining
  • Go on an African Safari (August 2014)
  • Learn to hunt (no hate mail please)
  • Be an acrobat for a day
  • Ride in a helicopter
  • Become a professional coach
  • Become an entrepreneur
  • Work in radio like my dad did
  • Become a board member at a not for profit (done...twice over)
  • Global travel (ongoing)
  • Run a marathon in Las Vegas
  • Plan, build and finish a home
  • Get my MBA
  • Build a large koi pond
  • Find a great life partner
  • Enter a fitness competition (done...twice over)
  • Learn a contact sport - kickboxing
  • Learn to code (javascript, HTML, & found out I hate PERL)
  • Finish a craft project 20-years in the making
  • Go back to school to add a second major to my undergrad degree

What does your bucket list include? Hopes? Dreams? The wilder the better.

*LAST UPDATED: September 2016, added links and updated completions.

Image credit/copyright: albund/Shutterstock