Why bucket lists kick ass

The weekend of July 12, 2008:  I travelled from my home in Florida to the little town of George, Washington (yes, really) on Friday night.  Watched The Police play a show at The Gorge amphitheatre Saturday, and flew back Sunday morning.  Insane?  Possibly.  Totally freakin' worth it?  Definitely.

When I made my first list in 2003, it was just called "a list of stuff I want to do before I die." Not very catchy.  It wasn't until the movie in 2007 that the term "Bucket List" caught on. 

Another thing that was different in 2003 was that it felt completely crazy to even put "See The Police play live" on my list.  Sting was adamant that he had no interest in getting the band back together; so much so that even if Stewart and Andy pulled up in an old police car wearing sunglasses in the dark and told him they were on a mission from God he still wouldn't say yes.  I almost left it off the list.  But then I thought, "What the hell, all three of them are still alive and active so it's still technically possible." 

That's one of the cool things about bucket lists.  They get you thinking that some impossible things might  just be possible.  

It also makes a statement to the universe: "I really want this."  Some people believe in the law of attraction, that setting an intention for something you want to happen creates energy in the universe that helps it become reality.  

Even if you don't believe that, writing your hopes down and putting them out there makes your brain pay more attention to signs that will lead you to your goal.  The Police announced their tour in May of 2007, but at the end of 2006 I got a vaguely hopeful email that had a whisper of a hint that something big was coming, and I started paying attention.  As months went on, fans were lighting up message boards with rumors.  More Police songs started showing up on the radio, even in the mix at the gym.  If I hadn't put that on my list, I probably would have missed all those early signs, and the delicious anticipation that came with them. 

For something as big as a Police tour, I would've eventually found out about it anyhow, but for our smaller dreams a missed sign can be the difference between having the experience or missing out completely.  Putting our intentions on paper flags a small corner of our brain to watch for ways to make the connections to get us there.

Somewhere around 2005, I added 2 outdoor venues to my bucket list:  Red Rocks and The Gorge at George.  Why would I want to go all the way across the country for a venue?  This is what a show at The Gorge looks like: 

See what I mean?  (And this picture really doesn't even do the experience justice.)

This is where the bucket list momentum really comes in handy.  I had the time, I had the money, I had the opportunity, but if I hadn't had it out there as something on my bucket list it would've been one more "Oh, that sounds nice, but..." and it never would've happened.  Instead, being a combination of 2 bucket list items, it was a no-brainer.  And it turns out that the craziest decision I ever made resulted in one of the most joyous, memorable days of my life.  When a brilliant set by (opener) Elvis Costello is only icing on the cake, that's a damn good day. 

A bucket list helps you say to yourself, "Self, this is a priority."  "This is important." "This is worth going after."  As such, it's a great tool.  A bucket list gives you permission to do a thing for the fun of it.  To do crazy things, have adventures, experience a day or a moment of pure joy, just because it's something you really want.

When we were kids, we got to make lists of stuff we wanted all the time -- for Santa, for our birthdays.  Why should kids get to have all the fun?  It's your turn, go make your list.  Or update your old one.  When you're done, come back and post some of your wishes here.  Who knows, maybe posting them out loud will make them even more likely to come true.