Making your Bucket List work

A-20-002-Making your Bucket List work

I decided to use the management tool of SMART goals to create a bucket list.

Have you hear of SMART goals ?  SMART goals are discussed in management training, should they be applied to a bucket list ?

• Specific.  Goals that are too vague and general are hard to achieve, for example ‘be a better parent’.  Goals that work include specifics such as ‘who, where, when, why and what’.
• Measurable.  Ideally goals should include a quantity of ‘how much’ or ‘how many’ for example drinking 2 litres of water per day.  This makes it easy to know when you have reached the goal.
• Achievable.  Goals should be challenging, but achievable.  Goals work best when they are neither too easy or too difficult.  In many cases setting harder goals can lead to better outcomes, but only as long as the person has the ability to achieve it.  Setting goals which are too difficult can be discouraging and lead to giving up altogether.
• Relevant or Realistic.  The goal should seem important and beneficial to the person who is assigned the goal.
• Time-related.  ‘You don’t need more time, you just need a deadline’.  Deadlines can motivate efforts and prioritise the task above other distractions.
• SMARTER goals have added two new words
• Evaluate or Ethical. Consider others, is what I am doing right
• Revised or Recorded.  You can change your mind

We also need to add another category to our list – the big B = budget.  How much will it cost.  It is no use and particularly no aim in to trying to do something that you will never be able to afford, or use all your money for one activity and have nothing left.

I chose the discussion of goals above as they come off a health web page – understandable for us all.  Do I think a Bucket list should be like a SMART goal ?  Let me try with some general suggestions.

Modified SMART GOALS for bucket Lists.  These are just ways to help you think.

• Specific
  • Is it very clear what you want to achieve
  • Yes –that is a good idea, or maybe not
• Measurable
  • Either you can or or can not achieve this
  • If you can not measure it, then it is not a smart goal.
• Achievable
  • Can you actually do this
  • Are you fit enough, have the right skills
  • It is socially/environmentally/geographically possible
  • If it is not possible why are you putting it on the list
• Relevant or Realistic
  • Are you wanting to do something that you can not do
  • Is it a realistic goal
  • This is your Bucket List – it needs to be relevant to YOU
• Time Related
  • Do you have enough time
  • Are there seasons to consider
• Ethical
  • Have you considered other cultures
  • Is it environmentally correct
• Budget
  • Can you afford it
  • Is it worth it

Let us start by making a little table :

Goal	Specific	Measurable	Achievable	Realistic	Time	Ethical

I have made up a few imaginary goals, let us put them in the table and fill in all the other columns.

Goal	Specific	Measurable	Achievable	Realistic	Time	Ethical
Touch the Wailing Wall	Very, a clear task	Yes, you did or did not touch the wall	Yes, for most people	It is a meaningful achievement, more for some people than others	Only if we give a deadline	Yes, if you are going there for the right reason
Cuddle a Dodo	Yes, quite clear	Yes, you did or did not	No, they are extinct	Why on earth would you want to !!!, but may be relevant for some people	Too late !	No
Helicopter to the top of Kilimanjaro	Yes	Yes	No, I think helicopter can not fly that high	Well no, you can not do it and it would be insensitive to some cultures	n/a	No, rather insensitive to climbers and locals
Wander the world	No	No, how much wandering?	Maybe, maybe not	This is a list of tasks not a generally iffywiffy thought process	Only if you specify how much wandering	Mostly yes
Walk the Milford track in NZ	Yes	Yes, either did or did not	If fit enough	Yes, if you like walking in the rain	There is a set route and a set time	yes

There is a big difference between a BUCKET LIST and a PLAN, the idea (the bucket list) and the execution (the plan).  A Bucket List is important as a way of documenting ideas and helps to keep on track.  If you don’t have to achieve all the list.  As time goes by what was important  really changes – you learn new things, look at the world differently and develop new priorities.  BUT, I reckon if something was really important and, it will probably stay that way.

Budgeting

I will talk much more somewhere about budgeting, but here are some brief thoughts.  Budgeting falls under the heading of ACHIEVABLE.  If it is too expensive then it is just not going to happen.  Maybe it is better to do more rather than a few very expensive activities.

Conclusions

• Make your list
• Check it with respect to SMARTER goals
• Check you costs
• Make a realistic list.