Where do I start in building a list?
Starting to develop a bucket list can be the trickiest point of the whole experience but, for me, it's also the most exciting as it's like having a blank page...a blank screen...a space with so much potential. You know that you fancy the idea of doing something a bit different but how do you come up with those initial ideas? Hopefully the following will give you a few pointers
Get inspiration from TV, film and the radio
This is how watching a TV programme about the public eating in a prison (where the food was prepped and served by the inmates) got me wondering how I could eat there too. Just months later, we took our parents to have the most incredible culinary experience where the food and service were amazing. I personally love travel programmes and watching Jane McDonald's series on Japan in autumn 2023 led me to visiting there just a few months later. But any programme can be a trigger to think "How can I do that too?", "How can I go there?" You never know when that next inspiration will jump out to you.
Get inspiration from the people you know
Do you know people whose interests or jobs make you wish that perhaps you could have a go too? One of the things I'd love to have a go at is to knock down a brick wall....and I happen to know some builders so I should just ask. Tell others about your bucket list adventure as they might come up with some ideas for you, perhaps things that you'd never contemplated. This is how I got to milk a cow, ride a 6 gear tractor and drive an HGV in a private yard, all because I'd shared with my friends about my bucket listing.
Let your Google search begin
We live in an age with immense amounts of information at our fingertips and it's about knowing the best search terms. Some of my favourites are along the ideas of '30 things to do before I turn 30,' 'Unusual things to do in Manchester', 'Weird bucket list ideas', 'Secret Birmingham', 'Red letter days UK', 'Insta spots in Northern Ireland', 'Top restaurants in Bath', 'What's happening in Glasgow on 30th June?', ''Inspirational ideas for bucket lists', 'Things to do before you die', 'Strange places to eat in the UK', 'What shall I do today?', 'Things I can do to boost my confidence', etc.
Reflect on yourself
Are there things you wish you could do a little bit better or perhaps things you know you try to avoid. This might include having a make-up lesson, overcoming your fear of dentists, growing your nails, going without chocolate for a month, completing Dry January, having a pamper day at home where you turn off the phone and buy a few beauty bits, committing to therapy to work on yourself, reading one book a month to develop a reading habit, completing a self-defence class, overcoming a long-term phobia or re-thinking your wardrobe (and being ruthless about the clothes you choose to keep), etc.
Be spontaneous
This is how I found myself in Copenhagen in 2022 having had no intent to travel just hours earlier. Yes, I'd woken up that morning, slightly at a loose end and I found myself glancing online at the nearby airport's departure board and picking a flight for later that day! And Malmo in Sweden is a mere hop across the bridge from Copenhagen so I could even visit 2 countries in 24 hours. I booked my hotel whilst at the airport and quickly researched what I could do. Doing things spontaneously doesn't have to involve jetting off somewhere but finding places nearby as there're always things happening that you can experience for the first time, whether there're free exhibits, open days, farmers markets, comedy gigs, community projects, local theatres, local museums, vineyard tours, etc.
Decide on the structure and a potential theme for your list
You could start with a single idea, you could set yourself a target of 10 things to do or perhaps just keep it open-ended with more and more ideas being added. I personally like a theme as it keeps me focused and themes include travel, music and the arts, personal development, sport, adrenalin-fuelled experiences, personal care, community outreach and so on. You could read the top 10 classics, You could plan 3 themed evenings at home each focused on a different country where you eat food typically eaten in that country, watch a film based there and learn 10 key phrases in the language.
How to record your journey?
You've got your ideas...great...so how do you record your adventure? You could use the 'notes' function on your phone, a scrap piece of paper or not write down anything at all. Journaling and scrapbooking are great for displaying the evidence from your experiences (such as tickets to a show) and reflect on your thoughts. You could look for one of the many available bucket list log books to write in. You could even blog! I love taking photos and, every couple of years, I create a photobook so that I can actually see what I've got up to rather than have stacks of photos just sitting in my phone. Looking through these photobooks can bring back the most brilliant memories as it's easy to forget many of those special days out. I also have a few photos of my adventures displayed around my home. You could also share your adventures on social media.
What if I change my mind about my ideas?
The beauty of having YOUR bucket list is that it's for YOU to decide what to keep on there and what might benefit from replacing or tweaking. Over the years, I've thought about many things that've ended up being removed when they've no longer interested me. The other thing I find is that I have many ideas that act as stepping stones to more refined or even more daring experiences. When I did my '40 things to do before I turned 40' list, I spread the word on my Facebook account and there were times when I felt almost compelled to do the things I'd said I'd do... but it doesn't matter if ideas aren't always completed. What I'm sure many people around you will think is about how gutsy you are, about how proactive you are, about how inspiring you are!