Lately, I’ve been thinking about bucket lists and honestly, I think we should all write one, the sooner the better. And here’s why. 

After writing down everything that I still really want to achieve in my life, big things, small things, silly things, and big hairy audacious things. I went through the list,  and for each item, I wrote down by when I wanted to have achieved it. I know I know, it’s a bucket list. But that doesn’t mean I just want to do everything by the time I’m, at my last dance party. Some of these things I want to have done way before that. So I went and put a date next to everything, 

Then, I estimated how long it would take me to accomplish each thing. Realistically, because it’s so easy to just let out our hopes and dreams without ever taking a moment to seriously consider what work we need to do to get there and how long it’ll take. And when I looked at the timeframes against the dates I had initially planned, it was a serious shock to the system. In some cases, I was so far out that there was no way that I would ever be meeting my desired goal dates, not even close. 

But that’s not the worst part.

The worst part was realizing that I almost didn’t have enough time left in my life to do everything I’d ever want to do. I mean, learning 2 new languages, traveling the world, building a school in Africa, writing a book, building a successful business, all these things need time. And so do all the small things, like reading x number of books, finally fitting into those skinny jeans I bought many moons ago and running a marathon, and my life suddenly seemed short and my time seriously limited. 

So, what’s my point in all of this? I’m sure many f you will be reading this and thinking it all sounds a bit dramatic, maybe even hysterical. But here’s the thing – life is short. 

Life is short, regardless of how old or young you are. Whether you’re 20, 30 or 40, the clock is ticking. And the best thing to come out of this exercise for me is the reminder of how important it is to prioritize what you want in life. Because sure, there’s probably a million and one different things you want to do and could do. There are going to be tons of things that take your fancy, but if you really want to achieve something, particularly the big things, like mastering a skill, building a legacy, traveling the world, or anything else, then you need to be selective and focused. 

What’s more, you need to constantly remind yourself of your life goals. like when you’re in the middle of a Netflix binge, or when you’re reaching for another glass of wine, or when you can’t seem to find your motivation. These are the times when you need to bring out that list and review it. Read it, remind yourself of the things you really want in this life and remember what you need to do to get there. 

 

Once you know exactly what you want to achieve, then it’s time to find the motivation to get there and tI know that can be hard. So, here’s what you need to know about what it takes to have all-star motivation and how you can get it.