As children, most of us regularly wrote a wish list. At least once a year, just before Christmas, we wrote down all our wishes in joyful anticipation. After all, it was clear to us that only if we put our heart's desires on paper could they come true. But then we grew older and many of us forgot at some point to express our longings and Needs write down. Why we lost this tradition of our childhood over the years?
Possibly because we no longer believe in Santa Claus. Or maybe it's because we don't take the time in our stressful adult lives to write down our wishes, dreams and moments of happiness. But because wish lists and bucket lists are ultimate happiness boosters, today we want to show you why you absolutely need a happiness list. Are you ready for more heartfelt projects and more Joie de vivre? Then read the magazine article carefully, grab your pen, smartphone or computer and create your very own bucket list. Let's go!
What used to be the Christmas wish list is now the happiness list. The small but subtle difference is that we don't have to wait for December 24, but could fulfill any of our wishes at any time - and without having to rely on other people. Our happiness is therefore in our own hands. At the same time, this requires a fair amount of self-responsibility. Because if we don't give ourselves happiness, no one else will either.
That's why written bucket lists are worth their weight in gold: thanks to them, loose ideas turn into fixed goals that can be scheduled and achieved. Creating a bucket list means listing exactly those things that you absolutely want to experience or obtain in your life. Maybe you know "The Big Five for Life" by John Strelecky.? Imagine you write down these five goals that you are determined to achieve; and then you hang your list in a place where you will see it every day.
Increases the chance of this Achieving goalsWhen you have them in front of your eyes every day? We say: Regular reminders through happiness lists definitely help us to put our happiness goals into practice. After all, many desires lie dormant deep in our subconscious and only come to light when we take the time to actively deal with our longings and dreams. Bucketlists are therefore a great way to clarify what our personal longings and heart's desires actually are. Because only when we consciously bring them to mind can we achieve them.
By the way, there are many methods to create your list. You can create a list in the classic way with pen and paper, you can create a specific Visionboard or create a kind of mind map. Whether you use a notebook or visualize your happiness goals on a large poster is up to you. If you prefer to work digitally, you can use one of many handy apps or tools to create your happiness list. How you go about it, or how many items your bucket list may have, is entirely up to you.
You can't think of all your goals right away? No problem, because as I said, some dreams are hidden in our subconscious. Some of your life's dreams and heart's projects will only come to your attention when you take a close look at your bucket list. For food for thought and inspiration, we've listed a few different areas of life. Go through each of these areas and think about whether there might be items in that area that could end up on your bucket list:
If you had only a few months to live, if money didn't matter and if fears and doubts didn't put a spoke in your wheel - what would you do then? What should not be missing in your life? What would you regret at the end of your life if you hadn't done it? The better you can answer these questions, the easier it will be for you to fill your happiness list.
Whether and by when you will achieve all the goals on your bucket list is a completely different question. Of course, it's great if you achieve as many points as possible. Our tip: Take small steps on your list every year. However, life is not a race and sometimes low points or exhausting phases come along that thwart your plans. So always work through your happiness list at your own pace - if you can call it "working through" 😉 .
Don't let yourself be influenced by the outside, but only do what is good for you and what you want from the bottom of your heart. Even if this means that you cross off some items on your list at some point without having "done" them. That's perfectly fine, because some wishes you outgrow over time - much like wish lists at Christmas. There is no pressure in achieving your happiness goals.