Bucket lists are both chronically misunderstood and hugely underrated. Unlike in the movies, they shouldn’t be something you only create when you realise the end is near. And they’re not just useless fantasies for hopeless dreamers.
They’re a useful tool to get you exploring the world and making the most of every moment. A travel bucket list can help you accomplish things you never thought possible. It can keep you motivated and focused on what’s really important to you. And best of all it can make you realise your travel dreams.
Goals help you focus
One of the most important steps to creating a bucket list is actually creating a bucket list. That means not simply storing it in your brain, but taking the time to write it out.
Writing down goals has been shown to improve our chances of making them happen. It’ll turn your bucket list from an imaginary thing in your head to a physical representation of your hopes and dreams. Because of this, having a bucket list will help you really focus on what’s most important to you. And if that’s travel, then seeing it on paper will help you concentrate on it. Write it out, make it vivid, and stick it in a prominent place that you’ll see every day.
You’re free to dream big
Ever feel like you’re getting bogged down by the sheer drudgery of everyday life? Diaries, deadlines, schedules, commitments, expectations, your days can start to merge into one never-ending, tedious blur.
A travel bucket list is a perfect way to help free your imagination. Don’t let yourself be constrained by what you may or may not think is possible, it’s your space to dream big. Where have you always wanted to go? What have you always wanted to see? What experiences have you always wanted to have? Let your bucket list act as a reminder that there is more out there than the four walls currently surrounding you.
It’ll help you through hard times
Is the idea of exploring new destinations something that motivates you? Do you daydream about exotic cuisines and new experiences? Or maybe you can’t get enough of picturing yourself on a white sand beach with a cocktail in hand?
If any of these ring true then you can use your travel bucket list to get you through hard times. Having something to look forward to can be a form of escapism. But better than that, instead of it just being a dream, it’s something you’re actively working towards making come true.
That sense of achievement
The sense of achievement you get from ticking off an item on your travel bucket list is unrivalled.
Perhaps it’s a small item like completing a road trip with your best buds. Or it may be something huge like hiking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu or chilling in an overwater cabin in the Maldives. Regardless of size, it’s the realisation of a dream, the fulfilment of a fantasy, the fruition of a long-held ambition. And once you’ve accomplished one item, it makes the rest of your bucket list feel more attainable.
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