Christmas is over and summer feels like forever away; this in-between period is the WORST!! Especially when exams and deadlines are looming, your life can seem to disappear and you find yourself daydreaming rather than experiencing. But recently, I’ve seen quite a few people on social media promoting the benefits of making a ‘bucket list’ and how it can help those long, repetitive days of doing nothing. Some may comment that creating your own bucket list is cliche, cringe or just a list of attainable dreams; yet from both my own experience and that of my peers, it is clear that writing down all your wishes and targets for the future can bring a more positive and meaningful outlook to your life. Which is what everyone wants to have, right?
A bucket list is something that can be kept personal or something to share amongst friends/family; it is your own thing for you to add to, change or (hopefully) cross off. Your tally can include the most outgoing things that aren’t part of your typical student lifestyle, such as: swimming with sharks off the Great Barrier Reef, zip-lining across the Grand Canyon, even partying hard in a Las Vegas casino. However, it can also include the smallest of goals like: becoming a vegetarian, dying your hair or becoming a member of a sports team – the little things are just as important as the bigger aspirations.
Direction. Purpose. Focus. Just some of the benefits that a bucket list provides. With all your aspirations written down, it almost feels easier to accomplish them, because you’re visually seeing what you want from life – giving you the ultimate determination. In addition, there is also a heightened sense of satisfaction once you are able to cross off the things on your list that you have fulfilled; reaching personal goals is something everyone aims to do, therefore motivating you to keep going, to keep achieving.
All of this can seem difficult to manage when you’re at university. With reading, hangover cures and budgeting taking a dominant focus in your life, it can be painfully hard to think about the light at the end of the tunnel (SUMMERRRR). This is why making a bucket list is important; it gives your mind a fresh breath of air, thinking of the possibilities other than studying that are out there ready for you to experience. You don’t need to do it alone, get your friends involved, try it together, have some fun!
Remember, it’s not about being generic, cliche or cringe, it’s about reaching goals, achieving dreams and staying positive.