How to Imagine and Finance Your Bucket List in 2022

The pandemic has forced us to face our mortality, for better or worse. Figuring out what we want to do before we die — our bucket list — has taken on an intensified urgency. Some of us have acted on goals just because we can, like writing a book or learning to play the piano. Others are itching to break free of lockdowns and restrictions in order to pursue big dreams, such as going on a safari or jumping out of an airplane.

Given this shifting landscape, revisiting our bucket list can be complicated, not only because of the pandemic but also because our priorities and/or our bank accounts have shifted.

As I turn 64, I still dream of hiking in the Swiss Alps, a place my mother lived when she was a young girl. I picture long summer days hiking from hut to hut, spending the evening cozying up to a spread of local wine and cheese and engaging in animated conversations with fellow travelers. I can’t imagine missing this opportunity. At the same time, I feel conflicted. How can I spend the time and money when there’s so much need around me? Will I be risking my health or that of others? Shouldn’t I be saving my money? Is there part of me that is afraid to go or worried that the adventure won’t live up to my expectations? These questions are the very reason I recommend pulling out that bucket list and giving it a good once-over. Even better, use the process below to bring at least one goal to life this year. Because taking a close look at what matters to us and doing big or even small things that feed our soul are enriching activities.

This assessment can be vital to our mental health and help us to see how we hold ourselves back from living our fullest life.

Step 1: Choose one thing

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by a bucket list. Maybe we have too many things or a few that loom large. Whatever the case, it’s easy to talk ourselves out of taking action. This is why I recommend committing to one item on the list this year, even if it means taking just a few steps toward the goal. If torn about what to choose, ask yourself the following questions: Am I really committed to this goal? Why or why not? How would I feel if it didn’t happen? How would I feel if it did? What’s standing in my way?

Step 2: Connect to emotions

As you review your list, pay attention to the emotions that might arise. Fear, excitement, worry, guilt, shame and even sadness might come up. When I think about hiking in the Swiss Alps, I feel sad because I didn’t go there with Mom, who passed away two years ago. I wish I had traveled there with her. But, like me (a mother of five and busy with life), you may think, Oh, I’ll do that one day. I also feel joy as I think about how I would reconnect to her through her past and the legacy that I share and pass along to my children. In considering how important this trip is to me, I’m noticing that these emotions help me realize how committed I am and why.

Step 3: Capture thoughts and beliefs

In choosing that one goal on your bucket list, notice and write down thoughts and beliefs that come up.