I’ll admit, I’ve made a bucket list. It’s sitting in the form of a Pinterest board that currently has less that 30 pins on it, ranging from kiss under mistletoe to travel first class, to visiting certain countries or cities. But I rarely look at this board or think about the things on it. I haven’t made them a priority in my life. Looking at the board now, I don’t see why I added some of them in the first place. As enjoyable as it would be to feel like a member of high society and fly first class, it’s not something that would add value to my life, and it’s not something that would add to my purpose in life. But I look at others and I can feel the excitement in my bones. These dreams and goals are what I am going to be focusing on.
When I say forget the bucket list, you don’t have to abandon it altogether. It’s a great jumping off point. But the items on your list need to become a priority in your life if you’re going to achieve them, and the best way to do that is to make it a priority today. If you don’t, you’ve just compiled a list of things you’re going to do in the fantasy that is “someday,” or “eventually.” I’ve lived in that fantasy for far too long.
So I really thought about what I wanted in life. 90% of the time, it comes back to traveling. From there, I thought about what I wanted to experience while traveling, whether it be a certain food, a place, a celebration, or anything else this crazy world has to offer. It’s a long list, and I have every intention to keep adding to it. But for now, we’re just going to prioritize a few - three to five will do.
Prioritize it.
Easy to say, something else entirely to do. Life likes to throw us lemons and curveballs, especially after we make plans. I’ve found that the easiest way to prioritize something is to set a deadline. I’m going to go to Thailand within the next two years. Its enough time to save money, book flights and hotels, and still be able to pay all of my bills until then. By setting a deadline, you force yourself to think about your goal much more actively.
So over the next two years, I’ll be planning my trip to Thailand. During the process I will share with you methods for planning your trip, sites to book your flights on, and how to stay motivated.
Today, I challenge you to make travel a priority in your life. And actually prioritize the trips you want to take and the things you want to do. Make a list. Set yourself a deadline (two years is a good timeline to start with) and do it. If you’re like me and you want to balance travel and home life, start with this challenge.
What are your thoughts on this challenge? Are you going to try it yourself? Where do you want to go? Let me know in the comments!
When I say forget the bucket list, you don’t have to abandon it altogether. It’s a great jumping off point. But the items on your list need to become a priority in your life if you’re going to achieve them, and the best way to do that is to make it a priority today. If you don’t, you’ve just compiled a list of things you’re going to do in the fantasy that is “someday,” or “eventually.” I’ve lived in that fantasy for far too long.
So I really thought about what I wanted in life. 90% of the time, it comes back to traveling. From there, I thought about what I wanted to experience while traveling, whether it be a certain food, a place, a celebration, or anything else this crazy world has to offer. It’s a long list, and I have every intention to keep adding to it. But for now, we’re just going to prioritize a few - three to five will do.
- Cuddle with tiger cubs in Thailand. While in Thailand I also want to go to a Full Moon Party and (safely) forget about everything else. In a more spiritual sense, I want to go to Thailand to experience something completely different than Michigan, to lose myself and become someone new. Thailand is my number one priority because it is calling me to truly become a traveler.
- See the cherry blossoms in Japan. It may seem a little contradictory to what I just said, so bear with me. I want to visit Japan more than any other country in the world. I want to backpack the country from bottom to top, following the bloom of the cherry blossoms as much as possible, visiting every museum and temple I can. The culture of Japan fascinates me more than anything else in the world. The reason it doesn’t take number one is because I feel deep down I’m supposed to go to Thailand first. It doesn’t make much sense, but some things just don’t need to make sense. They just are.
- Visit Mount Everest. I’m not the most physically fit, and I don’t have much hiking or climbing experience. I don’t have any intentions to summit Everest; I don’t think it’s something I’d survive. I do, however, want to see the mountain. My hope is to go to the South Base Camp and go slightly up the slope of the mountain and come right back down to base camp. However, I don’t know if they allow casual climbers to do such a thing. If they don’t, then I want to go to the North Base Camp, one which can be accessed by car and isn’t right at the mountain. This camp is referred to as a “tourist base camp.” While I wouldn’t be able to set foot on Everest this way, I would still be able to see the tallest mountain in the world.
Prioritize it.
Easy to say, something else entirely to do. Life likes to throw us lemons and curveballs, especially after we make plans. I’ve found that the easiest way to prioritize something is to set a deadline. I’m going to go to Thailand within the next two years. Its enough time to save money, book flights and hotels, and still be able to pay all of my bills until then. By setting a deadline, you force yourself to think about your goal much more actively.
So over the next two years, I’ll be planning my trip to Thailand. During the process I will share with you methods for planning your trip, sites to book your flights on, and how to stay motivated.
Today, I challenge you to make travel a priority in your life. And actually prioritize the trips you want to take and the things you want to do. Make a list. Set yourself a deadline (two years is a good timeline to start with) and do it. If you’re like me and you want to balance travel and home life, start with this challenge.
What are your thoughts on this challenge? Are you going to try it yourself? Where do you want to go? Let me know in the comments!