How to Use a Bucket List to Plan Your Dream Retirement

Many of us will approach retirement with a wish list of things that we’d like to achieve in the next phase of our lives. . It’s good to write these down. Creating a bucket list is a fun start to mapping out a future where there will be less of an emphasis on paid work.

I wonder if it is better to try and tick off those more ambitious goals in the earlier years of retirement. This is of course contingent on having adequate resources.

By suggesting this I’m not negating the achievements of those who carry on regardless in spite of advanced age. There are many admirable role models. Consider David Attenborough who still makes wildlife programmes into his nineties or James Lovelock, the author of Gaia, who continued to actively disseminate his ideas about the environment after his 100th birthday. However I’ve noticed that our elderly parents have slowed down and are less inclined to embark on intrepid adventures. They are more content these days to gravitate towards a more routine and locally centred life.

What’s On The List?

The items on a bucket list can vary widely depending on individual preferences and circumstances, but here’s some common themes that you could ponder over when creating your own list: Just remember to think about what is important to you personally. This could be at odds with what the people around you, or wider society expect. Also think a little out of your comfort zone. Acknowledging your wildest dreams may be a necessary step towards achieving them.

• Travel: Unless you’re a die-hard home bird it’s likely that seeing the world will feature on your list. Some of my own dreams involve satisfying my wanderlust. Now a few of my destinations are a little pie in the sky right now. An Antarctic voyage on a cargo boat and wandering around the Moai on Easter Island are going to have to wait until that financial windfall arrives. However I have fulfilled my dream of taking longer trips away in our motorhome. We spend a couple of months a year exploring mainland Europe.
• Learning: Many retirees use their newfound freedom to acquire extra knowledge or skills. They might take up a new hobby, return to formal education, or attend workshops and classes. For some this is a major ambition. I’ve met people who replace their career with full time study. One guy that I met at a music festival was just about to start a creative arts degree. Another embarked on doctoral research. Personally I’ve no desire to gain formal qualifications. I can’t see what purpose those additional bits of paper would serve. However now I have a bit more time to explore diverse topics that spark my curiosity. I wouldn’t be without my YouTube Premium membership. It’s a wonderful resource for ad free learning that I’d struggle to be without. And of course I read . I’ve even completed entire occupational therapy textbooks just for the joy of it. This is something I never had time for when I’m working.
• Hobbies: Trying new leisure activities could well be on that list. Is there a sport or creative activity that you have always fancied?Growing fruit and vegetables on our allotments was a new one for me and my interest in growing food has come as a bit of a surprise. I never felt particularly green fingered in the past. Maybe you just want to devote more time to a that is already a passion. Since I’ve retired I ramped up my mosaicking hobby to the point where I now sell my work.
• Home Improvement: Doing up the home or even downsizing to a more manageable living situation is often one for that bucket list. It could involve renovating, redecorating, or simply creating a space that aligns with your lifestyle. This is a big one on our own list and it’s going to take a time to tick off all the jobs that need doing. Slowly we are repairing and improving our own home so that it serves us well into our retirement. The big job that we completed this year was replacing the roof.
• Family and Friends: Spending more time with loved ones is a priority for many. Like me, you may have increased caring responsibilities. This can be a privilege or honour rather than an act of drudgery. Perhaps you’d like spend time with family and friends just for fun too. Maybe a special reunion or get together could be one of your bucket list items.
• Volunteering: Could a role working for a charity be on that list? Is there is a cause that you are passionate about that would make a difference to other people, animals or the environment. Perhaps you feel drawn to getting involved in local politics. I have plenty of ideas about how I’d like to volunteer but they’re on hold presently. Caring for my parents takes up too much time. After all I don’t want to replace work with a life that’s so jam packed it’s equally as stressful.
• Improving or Maintaining Health and Wellness: Perhaps like me you didn’t look after yourself as well as you would have liked while working. Prioritizing health improvement was therefore crucial for me. I’ve incorporated healthier eating, more exercise and consistent mindfulness practice into my own routine. Weight loss targets that I set for myself are slow in coming but very gradually I’m creeping towards my ideal weight.
• Spiritual Enquiry: This could take various forms, depending on what you wish to achieve. It may involve deepening existing faith practices, exploring different spiritual paths, or cultivating the practice of contemplation through meditation, prayer or study by yourself or with others. My own goal was to find my tribe which I think I’ve achieved through making contact with the Course in Miracles community.
• Relaxation: Simply taking the time to relax, unwind, and enjoy a slower pace of life is a valid and important goal for many. While it’s not a concrete item on my wish list I love the ability to have a lie in or take a siesta when I feel the need.

A Note of Caution

It’s wise, of course, to be mindful that personal circumstances can be subject to change. Pragmatism is key here. The actual course that your life might take may be very different from the one that you first envisaged. As in my own case, your own health or a family member could mean a major overhaul of your plans. Your financial circumstances could turn out better or worse than your original forecast. And sometimes the bigger picture comes into play. Friends of ours planned on retiring in rural France but then Brexit got in the way. They sold up and had to reconsider how the proceeds from their home can be reinvested to enhance their life in the UK.

Remember the bucket list is a dynamic guide, subject to evolution based on individual preferences and life changes. But even so it doesn’t hurt to map out a potential future life and what you’d like to achieve. In fact it can be positively beneficial because the process fosters motivation and inspiration. And for me there’s another absolute positive. I get more excited that I possibly should be ticking something off a list!

Disclaimer

This post contains links to companies and organisations just because I’m happy with the products or services that they supply or I’m spreading the word about what they do. There may also be affiliate links to Amazon for books and other items that I am personally recommending. If you decide to make a purchase from them, I might get a little bit of commission at no cost to you.