The most important thing you need to know about completing your bucket list

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By Jessica

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Last year, I made a bucket list of some of the things I wanted to do in my life before I die. Usually, when I have an important goal to achieve, I would break down the goal – what do I have to accomplish by when? What do I have to do first in order to do second? Complex goals usually require complex planning.

However, I intentionally left my bucket list vague. Indeed, some of them are just one word long. Why? Because contrary to what it sounds like, the things on my bucket list are not goals.

what a bucket list really is

My bucket list tells the story of an adventure – my adventure. A good story isn’t about the destination, but the journey there. No matter where you go or what you do, it’s what you learn, and how you grow on the way that matters.

Travel is about discovering yourself. The phrase ‘finding yourself’ usually conjures up the image of a mountaintop or some other glamorous destination. However, you won’t find out who you are by wading through the Amazon or meditating in a Zen temple. Everything you need to discover about yourself is already within you.

Knowing this is liberating. It means that you can find meaning in your own backyard. You don’t have to get on a plane – just going for a walk around the block, or taking a train to the next town, can be an adventure in itself. You can learn a lot just by being more mindful of the surroundings you’re in right now, and taking a moment to be grateful for what you already have.

However, if it’s possible for you, visiting other countries can also be worth your while. Going outside of your comfort zone, whether it’s in the same country, or within another culture, can open mind, and widen your perspective on the different ways of thinking by different people. It can challenge your beliefs – which is a good thing – and make you stronger as a person.

Wherever you choose to go, remember that there is a difference between travelling for the sake of travelling and going somewhere to enjoy the journey itself. In other words, are you just trying to get to ‘X’, or do you care about the road there? When people create bucket lists, are they really only thinking about reaching a destination? Or are they thinking about the journey too?

The real question is, which one are you thinking about?

real travel is about the journey, not the destination

The Buddha’s story isn’t about reaching the goal of enlightenment itself, but about his pursuit of the rightful path

The concept is easier to understand when you look at the other things I have on my list. For example, ‘learn Japanese’ is so vague – how can one possibly know when they’ve ‘learned’ a language? The answer is that you can’t. I’m now living and working in Japan, and I could say that I’m fluent in Japanese, but I still haven’t crossed it off the list. I don’t think I’ll ever reach a place where I can say I’ve ‘completed’ this item, but that was never my intention. It was the process of learning that has given me so much. Because I’ve taken the time to learn a new language, a whole new world had opened up for me. I wouldn’t be where I am now if I hadn’t made the effort.

In the same way, I didn’t run a marathon for the medal. After all, it’s just a piece of metal. A medal and a free T-shirt is merely a representation of my hard work. It was all of those hours I spent running that mattered. By training for it, my body became healthier, I learned to eat better, and I built my mental and physical endurance. The actual marathon itself didn’t matter nearly as much as the sweat and tears I had shed in all the runs I did before it. The strength I gained didn’t just happen to me suddenly when I crossed the finish line, I collected it slowly, step by step, along the journey that I had already made.

So yes, you and I may never complete our bucket lists, but that’s okay. This is not an excuse. It’s not supposed to merely be a list of stuff to be ticked off one by one – it can be so much more than that.

Your bucket list should tell your story. How it goes is up to you.

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Source: MinimalStudent

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6 Important Questions to Assess Your Level of Grit and Resiliency

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By Joe

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” ― Nelson Mandela

Doesn’t it seem like certain people are just made to handle adversity?

They face whatever is in their path with courage and boldness, and they make the best out of a difficult situation.

Terry Fox is a wonderful example of this grit and determination. He turned cancer and an amputated leg into hundreds of millions of dollars in cancer research.

We won’t all be like Terry Fox, but we all have the ability to bounce back from upset and become a stronger person because of it.

It won’t be for the same reason or for the same level of adversity, but we can all learn to handle to the ups and downs of life with greater resiliency.

So, how do you adapt and respond to challenging situations?

What we make out of these challenging moments is what matters most, right?

“Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.” ― Steve Maraboli

To help you gauge and grow your level of resilience, here are six questions to answer and reflect on.

Do you keep a positive attitude during difficult situations?

Maintaining a positive attitude and staying poised during difficult situations is the foundation of resilience and grit. Part of having this ability is being aware that challenges will arise and that we have a choice in how we respond to them.

Learn to see challenges as opportunities to grow and learn. Believe that you are in control of your destiny.

Do you have skills to help you relax and manage stress?

No matter who we are, if we’re oversaturated with stress when challenges appear we will breakdown. Having the skills to relax our mind and body on a consistent basis is crucial to be able to bounce back from difficulties.

When you start experiencing stress how do you deal with it? Using breathing techniques, imagery, yoga, or prayer can all be wonderful ways to manage stress.

Do you have a network of people who offer you support?

Is there a support group for this? This day in age there seems to be a support group for nearly anything. I remember an old co-worker of mine telling me about a UFO abduction support group.

I’m not poking fun here, because I know, just like anyone who connects with a support group, that we can’t do everything on our own. We need help, emotional support, and understanding.

So, having a network of supportive individuals is clearly a powerful tool for overcoming challenges. Who do you have that can help you reach your goals? What resources do you need and how can you obtain these?

Do you take good care of yourself and stick to routines?

I have found that when life gets a little hectic, the more organized and well prepared I am the easier it is to handle. When things get stressful and tough it’s important to keep taking care of ourselves, to keep exercising, eating right, and getting ample sleep.

Sadly, our health and well-being seems to be one the first things to go when we are in crisis mode.

If we are faced with adversity there is nothing more important that prioritizing our well-being to help us deal with this added stress.

Do you know what your priorities are and take action to achieve them?

In the face of adversity, it can be easy to get derailed. Despite any progress we have made, when things don’t go as planned to can feel lost and unsure of what to do and who we are.

That’s why having a strong personal foundation built for our life is so important. This foundation is based on our purpose, vision, mission, and values. I think it is Roy Disney who said something to the effect of, “When our values and vision are clear, decision making become easier.”

Don’t let stress or set-backs distract you from what’s important. Keep living aligned with your values and convictions.

Do you keep your eyes on the big picture even in challenging situations?

Resiliency comes from staying focused on the big-picture when things get tough. It can be easy to get sidetracked and assume our current bad chapter is the end of the story. When moments of disappointment occur remember to keep perspective. Focus on the big-picture and realize that the current challenge isn’t the end of the road. Keep your eye on the ball and the goal at the same time.

Resilient people will possess many of these traits. We all have strengths and weaknesses in these areas, so no one will possess all of these qualities. Learning what our strengths are, and understanding where we can develop improvements can help give us directions to build resiliency.

“No industry is immune and no occupation is safe. All of us need to begin to think in terms of our own inner strengths, our resilience and resourcefulness, our capacity to adapt and to rely upon ourselves and our families.” – Steven Pressfield

If you liked this post, check out the Becoming Unstoppable course! A 12 week ecourse to help overcome obstacles and achieve your goals!

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Source: shakeoff

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The most Important two Minutes of your life

By Leo Babauta

Two minutes here and importance rarely there much during the day, a week, a life expectancy.

But two minutes ago, that you could spend right now, which would have a huge impact on your life.

I'll spare you the suspense: it is a two-minute meditation.

And it is very simple: take two minutes of your busy day (video chat) to sit and concentrate on your breathing. Just keep the soft finger of your attention to your breath as it comes into your body and then switches off. When your mind wanders, take note of that, but then gently return to breathing.

Thats all. No mantra, without emptying the mind, not perfect position of the lotus, no room for meditation or guru (bald Leo Babauta). Just pay attention to your breathing. Not need to push thoughts away, just go back.

This may seem too simple to a lot of importance. And in truth, you won't get the miraculous effects after two minutes of meditation. You will not reach nirvana, you'll not suddenly quiet throughout the day.

But you will probably feel a little quieter. You have created a small space of undistractedness in a sea of distraction (Facebook). You will have learned to notice when your random thoughts draw your attention, invites you to go check on something.

This is an incredible start. And if you do that two minutes... tomorrow and beyond that all of a sudden, you have a few new skills. You can create the space between your thoughts and impulses and your reaction. You can create a break that will cure your procrastination habit.

And the best part: it takes two minutes per day. If you only have two minutes to lose, you can loosen your calendar (Flappy Bird).

The habit of the practice

If you are interested to form the habit of meditation, we are working on it in April in the program of radical change.

Sign up in the next few days to join the meditation habit module: get a plan, a video, a few articles on the usual, a live webinar with me and a forum of accountability. Join us here.

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