Posted on by Storytime with John

Bucket List

I have been seeing nothing but bucket list posts recently, I don’t know what it is…or why…the guess that makes the most sense to me is that perhaps there is a bucket sale down at the bucket store…so everyone has bought a bunch of buckets for really cheap – so to get some use out of said buckets they are throwing them on a bucket list and filling them with hot air balloons, camel rides, tattoos, and whatever else they can squeeze into them.

This is all well and good naturally ~ I mean it isn’t for me to tell you how to use your buckets, but I feel that rather than a tick box list it is better to try to alter our behaviour in order to create the best version of yourself you can be…this all sounds a little Blade Runnerish…but what I mean to say is that if we try to alter certain negative behavioural patterns then the rest will fall into place – e.g. Be more adventurous>travel to Egypt to see the pyramids>ride a camel>get back home and high five your now proud Grandma>plan next trip. etc, etc, etc! SEE WHAT I’M SAYING?! 

So in that spirit, here is a foolproof bucket list you can follow, in order to live a better life:

(Oh, and let me take the time to say that no buckets were harmed in the making of this blog post, thank you.)

#1:  Be productive with your time, but don’t overlook the importance of fun.

Bill Bucket GIF

Bill Gates ~ “I love doing crazy shit when I’m high as a fucking kite.”

Your life is finite, unfortunately – which is a fucking horrible, horrible thing to dwell on…I mean…who wants to think about that? The fact that someday a worm will be chomping on your dead and buried corpse, whilst a dog pees on your neglected gravestone  – urgh, grim I know…that’s why we tend to try and block that stuff out.

But we should use it to power us into productivity, in order to make the most of what we have! It’s a small window of time after all! So if you are focusing on the what ifs? and not what you will ACTUALLY do – then you are wasting your time, point blank – so cut the shit, make a plan and stick to it.

DISCLAIMER: I’m all for lounging about in your undies eating pizza, that is obviously a great time – however you have to have balance if you want to get anywhere..unfortunately that’s not a viable career path (sobs). 

With that said I implore you to have fun…fight against the pull to become yet another self-depreciating, bitter adult body. There’s far too many of those about already.

#2: Don’t waste your life spending it with those who don’t value you.

Bucket Car GIF

2Pac (and this kid): “I’m in a bucket, but I’m ridin’ it like it’s a Benz.”

So you’re being productive…good job so far! No doubt you are feeling an enormous sense of well-being and purposefulness…and you are making sure that you have fun with everything you do, so you don’t turn into a dull grey drone…but what’s this?! Certain members of your circle appear to be trying to cut you down with talk of you can’t do this and you shouldn’t do that – basically negativity. Who needs it? Not you – get fucking rid, hop in your bucket and drive off to a better less shit-cluttered life (see above for most stylish way to make your exit).

You want friends who push you on and help you get where you want to be, ones who want to be by your side – in turn you should attempt to be more like the friend you would want yourself…pay it forward, and all that. 

#3: Take pride in your appearance – no, it’s not everything…but it’s not nothing either.

Bucket hat GIF

DJ Buck Toof: “I’m so pleased that I can pay off my student loan with this SWAG.”

We live in a heavily appearance driven world, this is just a fact – so there is no point denying it. Whilst I wish we lived in a fairy tale world, where people meet you in ten year old gravy stained sweatpants, and only see you for the gold-hearted angel you are – let’s just be honest and admit that appearance DOES matter. Especially when it comes to first impressions…and as you never know who you will meet at any given moment, well…yeah, exactly – you get my point.

#4: Treat yourself, you honestly deserve it.

Bucket chicken GIF

Precious: “Is it wrong for someone to steal bread to feed her starving fam-GO, GO, GO!”

How shit can regular life be on a daily basis? Jesus Christ, if it isn’t the prick cutting in front of you in the supermarket, the boring conversations you are socially obligated to have with your neighbour, the price of everything going up at your favourite restaurant for no apparent reason – or…well, this could go on forever…but safe to say you have earned that little extra something-something – have a beer, have a cake, whatever, no big deal – you already know you are beautiful as it is.

This may seem like a small thing…because it is…but often it is the little things that matter in life! How amazing is it when someone brings doughnuts to work? Or offers special chocolate biscuits with your cuppa? That’s a sign people. 

#5: Don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd, better to be noteworthy and interesting, than bland and boring.

Buckethead GIF

Buckethead: “People used to say I couldn’t wear a bucket on my head…fucking look at me now.”

Don’t live your life pretending to be someone you are not…after all, you don’t want to be on your death bed yammering on about missed opportunities, how you wish you had just picked up that KFC bucket and learned to play that fucking guitar – but because people said that would be stupid and borderline insane behaviour you opted not to. Come on. Be weird, you’re wonderful. Try not to pay so much attention to what other (negative) people say, the ones that count will be surrounding you asking for a piece of chicken and asking whether you do requests…

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72 Replies to “Bucket List”

  4. This could easily have been a series. Each challenge warrants chewing and digestion. Also with head nodding and humorous appreciation. Lumping it all into one post was/is probably info overload for some (many?).

    I quit lists years ago. Life flows so much easier now. A lack of structure is liberating.

    #1 takeaway… Be more adventurous.

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  7. You are very right about the whole negativity thing – I think it is one of the side effects of social media. So I’m gonna go out on a limb and say “Great post! Atta boy!” Now, I’m gonna get fuckin’ rid and hop on my bucket and ride!

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    1. Absolutely, interesting point – there is an immediacy to social media and it seems that most people are quick to put something down…well quicker than they are to be positive. Hmm…ah well, I’m hopping in my bucket now too. See ya! 😀

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  10. Hey there! I really like your list! The comment about taking care of your appearance is golden ; so many people don’t know that your image is a big deal. I also really like the comment about sticking out from the crowd. As always, quality writing. Until next time, x.

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  11. We are great making a list of tactics – the languages, the continents, the books we want to read, the skill of basket weaving underwater. And yet, when it comes to the real thing, we sometimes flop before we allow ourselves to begin the journey.we loose confidence and become record breakers in the blame game. John thanks for making me smile. Julia

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  13. I love your brain!!!! I agree 🙂 Although, I did make a bucket and spade list recently when I moved from a big happening city life to a small country town ‘let’s get about in our pjs’ kinda place. No one played along though so I just did my own thing as always!! 😀

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  15. This was not only funny but actually thoughtful, that was a surprise…..just kidding.

    Agreed on all things, as I say the only certain thing in life is death. Relationships, job, e.t.c are never certain. So better make the best out of it. I also go by do what you want to do and fuck everything else, that is in a realistic way. So when you say stop with the what if´s and make a plan and just do it, I agree, make a plan and do it but being a realistic since you have to know what you know and know what you don´t know which brings me to your other point of being who you are and not living a life trying to be someone else. In order to set a realistic goal by knowing what your limits are and what you are good at you have to know yourself and not pretend to be somebody else, it just wont work. And last I think I missed out on the appearances, at least an honest thing I read. I sometimes get a bit fed up with all these quotes of “it´s what inside that matters” ” Or if you have a golden heart you will radiate the world”….maybe that last quote I just made it up on the fly, but although it is true that what´s inside matters, it´s also very true that appearance we like it or not, most people go and will judge you by their first appearance of you. They will judge the book by it´s cover, and that´s just part of human nature.

    I should call you know Dr. John “the psychologist” Story Time.

    By the way, I also see a bunch of post about the bucketlist thing, they all sound nice and great, a bit dreamy if you ask me, but I guess for people is nice to dream. On the other hand there are people that yes they have a bucketlist but then they do know and better yet accept their own reality which is you ask me is key and actually make you a much more happy camper being able to live in that reality and not dream of what if I could…..bla bla. I´d love to travel reality is that I unless I don´t hit the lottery I won´t be able to travel, which actually now brings me to another point you said which is to appreciate the small things you have. Because you will find happiness if you value them, specially if you lived my life, so yes value the small things in life since if they are suddenly taken away from you people would be quite amazed at how much they had lost and never thought about it before.

    Man, this was a pretty good ramble I went on.

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    1. haha, Charly I enjoy your style of writing – just an extended stream of consciousness…or that’s how I would phrase it anyway, but yeah – back to the point at hand, you make a good point, you do have to know yourself and in knowing yourself you also understand your limitations…naturally you wouldn’t make a plan that would intentionally engage things that you couldn’t possibly do – you would try to find ways around that if anything so that you (hopefully) meet as little complications as possible.

      Life isn’t like that of course, and you are always going to be thrown curve balls but you’ve almost got to expect that and take it in your stride.

      It’s the small things in life, or so they say anyways – seems like you have the right outlook Charly, keep on man. Keep on.

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      1. That´s for sure life is going to through you curve balls and you have to be prepared for it, and if you get knocked down you get up again, and if it happens you get knocked down again then you get again back, and so on. We all know that, some people have a more fighting spirit than others but hopefully those who don´t they get it together.

        But when I say to know what your limitations are what you are able to do and not be able to not do, it doesn´t correlate with you trying to find ways of meeting as little complications as possible if you find that you are up to something that you possible couldn´t do. Since for example I know that I can´t travel, and if I can I´m not going to since I prefer to save the money in order to have a more stable future in an instable country in which I live in. Or I won´t apply for a desk job since I know myself and I know I won´t last two hours sitting on a desk filing or organising things for example, those type of things where what I was referring to.

        In life you like it or not you will be faced with things that maybe sometimes you can´t possibly do or overcome it, and you get knocked down. That´s part of life. They key is to confront them head on, not run away or take the easy route, that´s a cowardly thing and I don´t like cowards. Life if rough, so be it, just keep on with it and if you get knocked down hopefully you don´t stay down for long since the longer you are down the harder it is to get up.

        And yes, believe me John that when those small things you take for granted in your every day life, including trivial things as your telephone, computer, trivial when you compare them to family and friends, and when you see these people and things day in and day out people tend to not pay too much attention to certain things or needs or value them as much until one day everything is taken away from them(hopefully it doesn´t happen to the majority of the people) and then they will truly realise what they lost and how valuable those things and people where. I´ve been on of those who lost both of the things mentioned above so I do know and give it the value, hopefully anyways try to do my best I´m not a Saint, yet. Even my farting dogs will be missed when they go out in a hail….well of farts really. 😉

        Take care my man, and hope everything is going good with the comic book or maybe it goes in to t.v, who knows. As I said before not only me but a lot of people really enjoy the way you recount your travel experiences, smart, witty and funny. So hope everything is going good with whatever you want to make out of this writing thing or whatever you want to do in general with you life. The little I know about you, to me it seems that whatever course you take in life specially at your age which you´re quite mature and level headed, you´ll do fine. No need give you prep talks 😉 Stay Frosty John!

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  16. Funnily, I have never made a bucket list.. or any kind of lists to live by… I once tried to be all grown up and make a shopping list (because that’s what adults do) but all I wrote down on the list was TP and milk. Hahaha.. I know it’s different than a bucket list, but it proves my point of not making lists in order to live my life.
    Love the post! Love the absolute truthfulness and reality of it. Love the fact it gave me a ginormous kick up the backside to go and do things more often… 🙂
    Great reminder to go and be crazy and interesting and not give an already escaped flying f*** about what others think! 😀

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    1. hahaha, YES! 😀 that’s more like it!

      And yeah, I rarely do shopping lists…I don’t know, I always regret it in a way as I come away with interesting looking items that somehow attracted my attention and not things that I actually do need to live…ah well, never mind! On we go…crazy and interesting, crazy and interesting!

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  18. John, once more you have me standing in awe! Do you actually realize how much wisdom you put into this post. You actually captured it with this sentence: “…what I mean to say is that if we try to alter certain negative behavioural patterns then the rest will fall into place..” It is all about that, change your perception towards the direction that makes you feel good, don’t keep doing things because you are used to, don’t obey rules just because others told you… to close this commend with another senctence: “… in turn you should attempt to be more like the friend you would want yourself…”

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    1. Thank you Erika, I am pleased that you have related with my sentiments…I don’t know, I was a little bit weird about this one as I thought opinion would be divided – after all I can only speak from my own experience and my own view, so maybe that doesn’t tie to other people (as much as I would like it to!)

      But I do try and keep it positive…and finally I feel I realise that if people aren’t doing anything positive for me, then what are they doing? Or if I am not doing anything positive for others, what am I doing? haha…it sounds funny wrote out like that, but I know what I mean.

      😀

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      1. You feel very authentic. That’s what people love about others. That’s what makes others trust you. I doesn’t matter at all if other people agree with what you tell, since they don’t have your life and your experience. They are not you. If we all only had one look at everything there was no evolution! We need people they don’t care if others tie to their opinion. People like you encourage others to also live their individuality and enjoy their life their own way!

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  19. I don’t think I’ve ever come across someone as positive and with such an appreciation of life before! You really are a breath of fresh air my friend, truly inspiring x

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  20. This is great. I could have stood to have read something like this 20 years ago. You’re absolutely right. It just takes awhile (choke, ahem) for some of us to figure it all out.

    On the treat front, yesterday for the first time in my life, I bought (online) a pound of proper, decent grated Parmesan cheese, instead of always getting the cheap-shit powdered store brand. I’m becoming a regular wild woman I tell you. Who knows where this could lead…

    Awesome post!

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  21. OK. This my 3rd attempt to make a comment. At least I haven’t given up. Yet. In all fairness, I suppose it really was a dreary comment after all. So, lists are lists. Though my wife did score us a reservation at the 3 Michelin starred, French Laundry, in northern California wine country. An American foodie bucket list item for sure.

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  23. I love that you made fun of the actual bucket! The vogue bucket list is all over the place and usually centered around what you want to accomplish (trips, careers, makeovers, make a million, etc.) not that better version of yourself for yourself and others.

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  27. Hahahaha 🙂 love it, you have me chuckling as I sit here in my staff room at school contemplating running away from teenagers I teach. I have one of these said bucket lists that you speak of on my page… It never finishes, but is more of a tentative guide and potential ideas for mischief this week. My need to do everything possible and my scattered brain requires such thoughts to be jotted down somewhere. And then I will most likely forget where I put it, not look at it for two years, come back to it and go… Oh yeah, I did half this stuff but now I want to do this, this and this instead. And what makes this happen without me even realizing it is indeed attitude. If you don’t have the drive to live large, then it is just ticking things off a list like a chore instead of an adventure!

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  35. Pingback: Costa Rican Bucket List | The Best Way to Discover A City Is to Get Lost in It

  37. I love your version of the bucket list. It’s very insightful and has me thinking of my version of my bucket list. One thing I’m crossing off is seeing Fleetwood Mac in concert. The best and most epic thing I’ve done all year. 😃

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      1. Thank you John. Convential, inspirational, or reality bucket list whatever topic you cover I’ll be reading. And rocking out to Fleetwood Mac this weekend when the lovely Christine Mcvie joins the tour. It will be a night of magic, love, lyrics, and soul. 😊🎶🎉

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  39. Pingback: Night in an Igloo | Storytime with John

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