Hi! This week I wanted to talk about something that was fairly new to me but has turned into lots of fun. Last summer, I wanted to do something new that was blog-worthy, so I created a summer bucket list. I have a general bucket list that I update yearly, but I've never broken it down into seasons before. I looked online for inspiration and was really pleased to find so many other people taking on a seasonal bucket list. I skimmed any articles I read for pointers as I was starting out and just tried to figure out what I wanted from the experience on my own. I enjoyed the experience immensely and have decided to continue doing it. I've since finessed the way I like to build seasonal bucket lists, so I thought I'd share some tips here if you'd like to start one of your own.
1. Keep your eye on affordable activities in your area
It's one thing to develop a bucket list full of things you've never done before, but it's another if all of those activities are $10 and above. It's tempting once you get into the spirit of the bucket list to try and do all the things, but having fun isn't always cheap, especially depending on where you live. Unless you're filthy rich, you'll be broke by the end of the month and in debt by the end of the season. If you don't get out often, this will be a good time to discover what there is to do in your city that costs little to nothing, and it gets you out of the house.
2. Try doing things you've never taken an interest in before
If every item on your bucket list was full of things that you either already like or have already done, there wouldn't be much point in making a bucket list, right? Try things that are offered for the season, like outdoor events if you're doing a spring or summer list, but that you would normally ignore. Some of our more fun or enlightening experiences come from places we wouldn't normally expect it, and keeping your mind open to new adventures may help you discover hobbies or interests you didn't know you liked.
3. Don't overwhelm yourself with items
The largest mistake that I made with my first season-themed bucket list was putting too many items on it. There were 50-some items on that list, and when I made it, I was expecting my summer to be jam-packed with fun and new adventures. Summer always brings out the wanderlust in me, so I set the bar way too high. A lack of income, reliable transportation and recurring health problems put me in check real quick. lol So don't overwhelm yourself with trying to cram tons of things on your list--a simple list full of both smaller and larger items will keep you busy enough.
4. Add activities or events that embody the feel of the season
One of the most important things to help you have more fun with seasonal bucket lists is to add activities that embody the feel or spirit of the season. For example, when I was trying to develop a fall bucket list, a few of my items explored the tastes of the season, like finally trying the much-hyped PSL from Starbucks and drinking apple cider. A winter list would have consisted of hot drinks that I normally don't drink, finding a public place with a fireplace that I could hog for a couple of hours, or something along those lines. The point of the seasonal bucket list is partially to keep you in the spirit or feel of the season you've created the list for. This is another way to open your mind to new experiences.
5. It's okay to add a couple of things that are probably unattainable, but fun to think about
My summer bucket list last year was extremely unattainable and ultimately ended up backfiring by overwhelming me. At the same time, I purposely added a couple of things that I was pretty sure I wasn't going to end up doing because just seeing those items on the list kept me in the mindset of the season and the fun I wanted to have. Take one of my items from last summer, which was to hit up a water slide. There aren't any water slides around my house, so this one was obviously not going to happen. But I added it because for me, it was one of those quintessential fun, playful summer activities and that was the feel I was going for when I created the list.
6. Figure out what inspires you for each season and go from there
One of the reasons why I wanted to start doing seasonal bucket lists was because I wanted to remember why I used to love each season. I wanted to regain that sense of enjoyment in the simpler things, find the things that make each season beautiful in its own way. So what inspires me for spring? The fact that after months of having to stay holed up in the house and largely away from large groups of people (I have the FML-worthy pleasure of being a raging hypochondriac with health anxiety and having a compromised immune system), I can finally feel the sun on my face again. After months of clouds and winter (for Texas, anyway) weather, the sun just seems a bit brighter and the atmosphere seems to come back to life. So during the spring, I'm going to want to try outdoor activities that I've never tried so that I can enjoy the warmer weather and nature. The need to explore always kicks in during the summer, so I'm going to want to do activities that take me on mini-adventures.
7. Have a healthy mix of smaller and larger things
Once I started creating lists, I realized just how quickly time actually passes by. When you only have three months to do a list of things, sometimes it can seem like much more time than there really is. But when you factor in things like scheduling, convenience, health, weather and the like, you have a lot less time than you think. Before you know it, the season is winding down and it's time to make a new list. Combining larger and smaller seasonal things goes back to not overwhelming yourself. You want to have fun with your list, not become a slave to it, and if your list is full of bigger items that require more of your time and effort, it can be daunting. Mix it up with smaller items that would be fun to try, but don't require as much.
8. Allow room for seasonal fails
I don't know about you, but despite the frustration it usually causes, I love a good fail. They're funny, they remind me that I should never get a big head about, well, anything, and they're good practice for showing me how to do it better the next time around. Take my first seasonal bucket list, which was last summer. For all intents and purposes, the entire alone was a seasonal fail and at first it was pretty discouraging, but then I realized that I just needed to learn how to do it properly. I just wrote down a bunch of stuff that sounded fun to do during the summer, most of which I knew as I wrote I wasn't going to do, then proceeded to let most of the summer pass me by. I overwhelmed myself, I didn't do a ton of research on what was even feasible for me to do, and I didn't think about time constraints. So when August came and I realized I hadn't even crossed off half of the items I'd added to the list, I was discouraged and a little disappointed in myself. Here I was trying to be a fun blogger, but I didn't even do a summer bucket list right. I felt like I had to eat my words and admit defeat and I hated that. The beatdown I gave myself over it was pretty funny because the issue in itself was rather dumb, but I'm a perfectionist so stupid things like that really do get me down. It was said meltdown that helped me not only realize the level of seasonal fail I'd just hit, but it also helped me come up with this list so that I could do better the next time.
So those are some of my tips. The goal was to give a little direction for those who are just starting out but still allow you to personalize them for where you live and make a list that's truly your own. Of course, don't be afraid to Google lists if you need a little help; you'll find that many of them, especially the summer lists, have some of the same items on them. There are family lists, which look like tons of fun if you've got a group of rowdy kids expecting you to find something for them to do (as many kids often do, lol), there are couples' lists, and there are #ForeverAlone lists for gals like myself. Just have fun with your list. It can be hard sometimes, especially in current times, to try and enjoy just being alive. For me, that's another thing that seasonal bucket lists and lists in general help me to do. They give me new experiences, they open my mind, and help me enjoy just being alive to breathe in air, whether it's a frosty air that chills my lungs or a hot, desert-exclusive air that makes me choke on dirt. lol I hope these tips have helped you a little if you're new to creating seasonal lists. If you decide to create one, tell me what you plan to include!
2. Try doing things you've never taken an interest in before
If every item on your bucket list was full of things that you either already like or have already done, there wouldn't be much point in making a bucket list, right? Try things that are offered for the season, like outdoor events if you're doing a spring or summer list, but that you would normally ignore. Some of our more fun or enlightening experiences come from places we wouldn't normally expect it, and keeping your mind open to new adventures may help you discover hobbies or interests you didn't know you liked.
3. Don't overwhelm yourself with items
The largest mistake that I made with my first season-themed bucket list was putting too many items on it. There were 50-some items on that list, and when I made it, I was expecting my summer to be jam-packed with fun and new adventures. Summer always brings out the wanderlust in me, so I set the bar way too high. A lack of income, reliable transportation and recurring health problems put me in check real quick. lol So don't overwhelm yourself with trying to cram tons of things on your list--a simple list full of both smaller and larger items will keep you busy enough.
4. Add activities or events that embody the feel of the season
One of the most important things to help you have more fun with seasonal bucket lists is to add activities that embody the feel or spirit of the season. For example, when I was trying to develop a fall bucket list, a few of my items explored the tastes of the season, like finally trying the much-hyped PSL from Starbucks and drinking apple cider. A winter list would have consisted of hot drinks that I normally don't drink, finding a public place with a fireplace that I could hog for a couple of hours, or something along those lines. The point of the seasonal bucket list is partially to keep you in the spirit or feel of the season you've created the list for. This is another way to open your mind to new experiences.
5. It's okay to add a couple of things that are probably unattainable, but fun to think about
My summer bucket list last year was extremely unattainable and ultimately ended up backfiring by overwhelming me. At the same time, I purposely added a couple of things that I was pretty sure I wasn't going to end up doing because just seeing those items on the list kept me in the mindset of the season and the fun I wanted to have. Take one of my items from last summer, which was to hit up a water slide. There aren't any water slides around my house, so this one was obviously not going to happen. But I added it because for me, it was one of those quintessential fun, playful summer activities and that was the feel I was going for when I created the list.
6. Figure out what inspires you for each season and go from there
One of the reasons why I wanted to start doing seasonal bucket lists was because I wanted to remember why I used to love each season. I wanted to regain that sense of enjoyment in the simpler things, find the things that make each season beautiful in its own way. So what inspires me for spring? The fact that after months of having to stay holed up in the house and largely away from large groups of people (I have the FML-worthy pleasure of being a raging hypochondriac with health anxiety and having a compromised immune system), I can finally feel the sun on my face again. After months of clouds and winter (for Texas, anyway) weather, the sun just seems a bit brighter and the atmosphere seems to come back to life. So during the spring, I'm going to want to try outdoor activities that I've never tried so that I can enjoy the warmer weather and nature. The need to explore always kicks in during the summer, so I'm going to want to do activities that take me on mini-adventures.
7. Have a healthy mix of smaller and larger things
Once I started creating lists, I realized just how quickly time actually passes by. When you only have three months to do a list of things, sometimes it can seem like much more time than there really is. But when you factor in things like scheduling, convenience, health, weather and the like, you have a lot less time than you think. Before you know it, the season is winding down and it's time to make a new list. Combining larger and smaller seasonal things goes back to not overwhelming yourself. You want to have fun with your list, not become a slave to it, and if your list is full of bigger items that require more of your time and effort, it can be daunting. Mix it up with smaller items that would be fun to try, but don't require as much.
8. Allow room for seasonal fails
I don't know about you, but despite the frustration it usually causes, I love a good fail. They're funny, they remind me that I should never get a big head about, well, anything, and they're good practice for showing me how to do it better the next time around. Take my first seasonal bucket list, which was last summer. For all intents and purposes, the entire alone was a seasonal fail and at first it was pretty discouraging, but then I realized that I just needed to learn how to do it properly. I just wrote down a bunch of stuff that sounded fun to do during the summer, most of which I knew as I wrote I wasn't going to do, then proceeded to let most of the summer pass me by. I overwhelmed myself, I didn't do a ton of research on what was even feasible for me to do, and I didn't think about time constraints. So when August came and I realized I hadn't even crossed off half of the items I'd added to the list, I was discouraged and a little disappointed in myself. Here I was trying to be a fun blogger, but I didn't even do a summer bucket list right. I felt like I had to eat my words and admit defeat and I hated that. The beatdown I gave myself over it was pretty funny because the issue in itself was rather dumb, but I'm a perfectionist so stupid things like that really do get me down. It was said meltdown that helped me not only realize the level of seasonal fail I'd just hit, but it also helped me come up with this list so that I could do better the next time.
So those are some of my tips. The goal was to give a little direction for those who are just starting out but still allow you to personalize them for where you live and make a list that's truly your own. Of course, don't be afraid to Google lists if you need a little help; you'll find that many of them, especially the summer lists, have some of the same items on them. There are family lists, which look like tons of fun if you've got a group of rowdy kids expecting you to find something for them to do (as many kids often do, lol), there are couples' lists, and there are #ForeverAlone lists for gals like myself. Just have fun with your list. It can be hard sometimes, especially in current times, to try and enjoy just being alive. For me, that's another thing that seasonal bucket lists and lists in general help me to do. They give me new experiences, they open my mind, and help me enjoy just being alive to breathe in air, whether it's a frosty air that chills my lungs or a hot, desert-exclusive air that makes me choke on dirt. lol I hope these tips have helped you a little if you're new to creating seasonal lists. If you decide to create one, tell me what you plan to include!
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