“Why would I need to write down the things I want to do in my life? I know what I want to do.”

Believe it or not, we all forget things; important things like your mother’s birthday and little things like the name of that new intern your company just hired. Some of the most important things escape us but somehow we still believe that we will remember everything we want to accomplish in life.

Why make a list? You make a Bucketlist because it’s a tool. A tool that gives you a definitive goal, focus and a general direction you’d like to set your sails in life. When you have everything you’d like to accomplish in life right in front of you; you become acutely aware of who you are and who you want to become. The actions you take in life are a direct representation of who you are at your core. Writing out a list of the actions you’ll take in life is like looking into the future and at the same time shining a light on who you truly are.

Many of us forget to think about what we want out of life besides a promotion at work and a vacation to Hawaii, both great things but I want you thinking bigger. The bigger picture gets to be so far in the back of our heads behind the million things going on in our day to day lives. The bigger picture is crucial to our overall happiness. Ignore the big picture and you risk waking up one day looking back at the last 30 years wondering where it went and why you wasted so much time making others happy instead of working towards your own contentment. Writing out what you want in the big game of life, that is the clarity we need.

Legacy

Three hundred years from now the best we can hope for is a few nice things said about us. Likely we will be completely forgotten besides our name placed way up at the top of the family tree of our great great great great grandchild in their 5th grade class. This morose topic is not meant to make you sad, it’s meant to make you realize that true happiness and fulfillment should be your #1 priority. If doing the things that make you happy and fulfilled make the people around you uncomfortable or scared seeing you stepping off the hamster wheel, then you just need to let them feel that way while you do you.

Be the eccentric rich uncle. Be an inspiration. You may be surrounded by negativity, you may see others living incredible happy lives and feel like you don’t have what it takes or you don’t deserve it. Nothing I have ever written is more important than this: You are worth it. You deserve to live the life of your dreams. The only thing standing in your way is your fear and years of people treating you like you’re normal. You don’t have to be normal. Millions of normal people live and die with regrets and daydreams of adventure and fulfillment.

Live your life without regret because in the end we must remember that time is finite but the stories and laughter from your life can be infinite. Write down your goals and work towards them until you look back on a life filled with laughter, love and fulfillment.