New Experiences and Bucket Lists

Posted on by Carl Weber

During a recent dinner conversation, the topic moved to bucket lists. Not everyone (me included) has a bucket list. Bucket lists are about trying new experiences. Experiences that are important enough to try in our lifetime.

Sometimes we don’t want to make a list. (Just one more thing that feels like work or the potential to fail when we don’t accomplish something.)

Sometimes it is scary to write down these items. (What if I cannot do it, what if it requires me to overcome fear?)

Sometimes we think we are too [insert your own self-limiting description here] to make a list. (We are too old, scared, busy, etc.)

Sometimes we live through other people’s lists. (I can join them or not, but not create or plan for my own.)

Sometimes we think about these new experiences, but the distance between thinking and doing can be a very long journey. (Dreaming is great, but doing is so much work.)

One of my favorite bloggers/bucket list enthusiast is Christine Barba. I have enjoyed reading her list and it provided the right inspiration for my own list.

I have started my list. One of my goals this year is to finish the list.

One bucket list item has been to attend a TED and TEDx event.

TEDxPiscataquaRiver

Looks like I can cross this off my bucket list.

Bucket lists require risk. Bucket lists require us to stretch ourselves.

Do you have a bucket list? Maybe it is worth spending a few moments to write down a few today. Don’t wait. Feel free to share your top three items with us in the comments section?

Published by Carl Weber

Carl Weber, is the owner and founder of Carl Weber Consulting, a consulting group that helps businesses, non-profits, and individuals understand themselves, hire and manage well, and become great leaders. Carl worked in local government for more than ten years, as the Town Administrator of a few towns in NH. Once upon a time he was a search and rescue swimmer for the US Navy. Carl holds Bachelors’ Degrees in Political Science & Community Development and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy. Carl is a Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst (CPBA) and Certified Professional Motivators Analyst (CPMA). Carl regularly teaches on human factors and the relationship of behavior and leadership styles, as well as motivation, coaching, leadership challenges, and failing as a leader. His passion is to help leaders in their lifelong journey to finish well, to combat and work with their inner voice, and to live a meaningful story worth reading. Carl lives in Southern New Hampshire with his wife Amanda and together they are raising a small tribe of four young (somewhat crazy) women with the goal of unleashing them on the world to change it for the better.

5 thoughts on “New Experiences and Bucket Lists”

  2. Thanks for the reminder…and encouragement. I have been THINKING about starting a bucket list,but now I will. Here are my first three: 1) Hike the A.T. from Greylock to Katahdin 2) Write the book that has been inside me for, well, ever. 3) Drive a huge engine muscle car in the desert as fast as I dare, no less than 120 mph. 🙂

    1. Love the list! I am up for the driving the muscle cars one. I especially liked the qualifier of no less than 120 mph. I may have to add this one to my list.

    2. Those are fantastic goals! I can relate to having a book “inside me” for, as you said, ever. I love how you capitalized THINKING when mentioning your goals. My roomate pointed out every time I said “I’m thinking about doing so-and-so”, telling me “DON’T THINK ABOUT IT….JUST DO IT!” It takes motivation, initiative and will. *Hard work.* There in lies the rub 😉

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