Recently a girl friend of mine said, “you guys are always doing something fun!” I laughed because most of the time, I am not actually doing something fun – like cleaning #2 off my baby’s clothing in the garage, wiping up something gooey off the floor, or folding the laundry that doesn’t ever end. There just happens not to be anyone around to take a picture of the real life stuff on a normal basis who is over two feet tall and ya know, knows how to take a picture.
However, she wasn’t completely wrong. We DO do a lot of fun stuff. We are super lucky to live in an area that there just happens to be a million cool or fun things to do, but we also seek out the fun and make time for it in the calendar and budget. Creating a family bucket list is a really simple and fun way to proactively think about, budget for and plan accordingly, activities you are dying to do with your spouse and kids!
Before you know it, summer is over and you never once jumped in the ocean together or went fishing on the river. The year has passed by and once again there was no night away as a couple, or family outing to the zoo. Instead of letting it all pass by you – go on and create your ultimate bucket list!
Pick Your Tracker
I suggest using Coda.io since that really is the most dynamic tool you can use and anyone with a google account can assess it and share it. It has all sorts of cool sorting features and other tools within the app to make your Bucket List come alive!
Confer with Others
Talk to your spouse/partner, kids and friends. Get a sense of the things they want to do, or friends have been doing as a couple or group. Get an idea of what is out there you haven’t thought of and where those activities fall for you.
Write it All Down
Start off with a big list of all of the wonderful things the world has to offer! A camping trip, a national park visit, a big city jaunt, a wine country adults weekend, a European vacation, a Disney Cruise, planting a garden, having s’mores over a fire pit, dipping your toes in the ocean, sharing ice cream cones – whatever it is – write it on the list. Things big and small go on the ever-growing list!
Narrow it
Doing everything we have ever dreamed off – big and small – is really not financially, physically or sanity sound for most of us with young families. However, doing a handful of carefully picked activities is very realistic. As serious as that last sentence was – this is going to be FUN!
Thinking ahead and having a game plan will make this bucket list actually happen. Narrow it down by adding a column for expected cost, time of year restrictions, adults only vs. family, scope of time (which as a 1-hour event verse a week vacation), and other filters that will influence your decisions.
Sit down as a couple or family and select out the things that will work best this year for you and your family! By this year, I mean from now until this time next year — not from January 1st onward. Starting at one particular time of the year to begin this exercise is non-sense, get on your bucket list journey in the here and now and start making things happen!
Keep it Going
The list should grow with you and your family, thing that didn’t make it on the bucket list for this year can be revisited for next year! Someone once told me, “do everything you want to with your kids before they turn 12 and just want to hangout with their friends and think your not cool anymore.” A. I hope that isn’t totally true B. I’m working on it! How about you?