Why following your travel bucket list should be a yearly goal

By Ian Child

Recently, I ticked off something that’s been on my bucket list for years – a trip to experience the amazing coastline of the north of Scotland. It did not disappoint; why had I not done this sooner? The decision to actually make the trip came about one rather rainy afternoon when my business partner and I were chatting about our packed work diaries. As the author of a book about time management, my family takes great pleasure in pointing out when I fail to walk my talk – and here was a case in point!  We realised it was time to clear some time and give our respective bucket lists priority.

We also realised that when we looked back on this year in the future, we wouldn’t remember the meetings we attended, the training sessions we facilitated, or the countless Zoom calls. But we would remember walking across beautiful, desolate sandy beaches and hiking across the hills at Knockan Crag, formed when two continents crashed together.

Everyone’s bucket list is different, with different “wow” highlights, and we all have different reasons for not having ticked them off. These “wows” tend to be expensive, and they usually involve a lot of travelling. Perhaps you want to experience the Northern Lights in Iceland, or you want take in spectacular Canadian scenery on one of the world’s great train journeys aboard the Rocky Mountaineer, or you want to (really) get away from it all in Australia’s Southern Grampians. Can we justify the costs – both financial and environmental?

Let’s take a look at a more modest “wow.” Imagine popping into your local coffee shop for your beverage of choice, and you spy a tempting maple pecan Danish. There are probably dozens of very reasonable arguments you could put forward for not indulging. Your expanding waistline, ruining your appetite, and clogging your arteries are just a few. But you really want that treat. So, you buy it, consume it, and it marks a happiness high point in your day, even though it went against all that good reasoning. Were there some pretty sound reasons not to do it? Yes. But you did it anyway because you enjoyed it, and it made you feel better. It was one of the day’s high points.

This is an example of what I call a “happiness pocket,” and your days will be full of them. Little pockets of happiness that make each day bearable. It could be a snack, a chat with a friend, a glass of Rioja, a meal out or a takeaway, or a trip to the cinema or the local pub. You won’t recall them individually in years to come, but they’re essential for making your day-to-day life enjoyable. These happiness pockets also happen on a yearly basis, as well as a daily one. Nice holidays, family parties, and luxury purchases all serve to make the year bearable, and they also give us something not only to look forward to but also to remember.

Meanwhile, looking back at the big “wows” on your bucket list, your thoughts return to unjustifiable environmental costs as an excuse for not doing them. But expand that thinking. For example, Iceland’s capital Reykjavik is one of the world’s top eco-friendly cities, the Rocky Mountaineer has won awards for sustainability, and you can book eco-treehouses in Australia’s Southern Grampians. And your flights? These can be offset, often through the airline for an extra fee.

So, imagine sitting out in the garden someday in the future in your dotage, looking back on your life, regretting never getting round to your big “wows.” Life is way too short not to have dreams, but we need to ensure these dreams actually happen. While long-term goals are great, we must also enjoy the journey. If you only settle for a Danish now and again, you’re selling yourself short. I urge you to make sure you have a bucket list item on your agenda for every year of your life. It can be big, or it can be small, but do whatever is necessary to make it happen.

Ian Child is a former corporate leader, co-founder of leading property development training company propertyCEO, and the author of “Your Own Personal Time Machine – A Guide To Getting Your Life Back.” Find out more at: www.propertyceo.co.uk