Having an annual bucket list will make you happier

Do you have an annual bucket list?

I have been doing this for years and it helps me focus on what is important for me for that year. The knock-on effect of that is that I am happier and more content with my life.

What it does is change the focus from what you haven’t done, which is negative and makes you feel down on yourself. To what you have done and the memories that pop up, releasing the feel-good hormones.

And the best thing about doing this is that it’s for fun, there is no pressure, no one kicking your butt or mocking you if you don’t do it all. It is at the end of the day a wishlist.

How it started

2011 was a pretty rough year and so when 2012 came around I felt like I needed something to look forward to and something to motivate me.

As it was 2012, I did 12 for 2012. Which fit quite nicely and some of the things I had down on the list worked out well as it meant doing 1 thing a month. Obviously, after that, I had to get a bit more creative.

2020 was a big milestone birthday year so I had lots of great things lined up but we all know how that ended! But that was an important lesson too, in letting go of the outcome. If I don’t manage everything, that is OK. It’s just for fun.

This year’s annual bucket list

And now we are in 2023 and I have just finished adding things to the list. I am sticking with the system of 23 for 2023.

Before we get to my list, I want to iterate that this is MY list, for things that I personally want to do, push myself to step out of my comfort zone, or things that I personally want to work on.

By all means, steal the idea but make the list your list, whatever inspires you!

A few years ago I shared my list for the year and two of the items were:

Watch a sunrise and sunset together as a family.
Try 5 new types of cheese.

Social media being what it is, I had someone rip me one for those, I didn’t justify my choices at the time, and why should I? It’s my list.

But now I can tell you that at that time, both were a challenge but for different reasons, good cheese is hard to come by where I live, finding 5 that I haven’t tried was a challenge!

So with all that said, you don’t have to share your annual bucket list publically. It doesn’t matter what is on it. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t check everything off. But it is a great way to challenge yourself and inject a bit of fun into your life.

I write my annual bucket list in the front of my Bullet Journal so I constantly see it which reminds me to take action. No point in writing a list and then not doing anything with it!

And as I complete things, I check them off.

My 23 for 2023 bucket list

Read 23 books set in 23 different countries
Overnight stay in a prefecture I haven’t visited before
2 overseas trips
Try 23 new recipes
Take 23 skillshare classes (use my link here if you want to try a free month)
Get out in nature 23 times a month
Write 23 old-school, paper letters
Create a new set of illustrations every month
Have a real-life friends date every month
Spend 23 minutes a day on personal development
Get published in 23 different places (blogs, articles, podcasts, etc)
Have 23 collaborations with awesome people
Release 23 kg (or more)
Meditate at least 23 days a month
Get 23 new PDFs in the shop that are not 193 Little Adventures Club files.
Try 23 new craft beers
Grow my houseplants collection to 23 (just don’t let my husband know!)
23 mini upgrades (this is something I took from doing Money Bootcamp, always on the lookout for what you can upgrade so that you don’t feel like you are living in a constant economy class life)
Learn how to. make proper, crunchy French baguettes.
Take a family photo every month doing something fun. (This has a practical side to it because I make calendars for the grandparents and it’s so much easier if I have photos each month!)
Paint a new Daruma for the year (already done this one, see below, I love how it turned out!)
Make a new Christmas tablecloth and Christmas tree skirt (I’m hoping having this on the list will actually remind me to make it before Christmas comes around again)
Visit at least 4 art galleries. Yayoi Kusama and the new Team Labo are on that list already.

I’d love to know what kind of things you have on your annual bucket list if you do this too!

If you have got to this point and you are thinking, yes, I love this but I need more help…

Then you are in just the right place!

You can join us in The Wonder Mom Success Club for daily check-ins and a community of moms who will help you along, I am also in there daily. Or you can take it up a notch and join SPARK Mastermind which also includes 1:1 sessions, group mastermind calls, and weekly workalong sessions. These are perfect for those who work from home but miss the office!

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