by Michael Gilbert

Created on: January 09, 2009   Last Updated: January 15, 2009

Life goals are those achievements and/or accomplishment one seeks to fulfill during one's life. A bucket list is a list of things to do, places to go, people to see, and thrills to seek before "kicking the bucket" - dying.

At an early age, most children develop a sense of life goals. These are as simple as "I want to be a ..." when I grow up, to more serious "I don't want to be like ..." when I grow up or "I want to be just like," when I grow up. Throughout childhood and the teen years, these goals will change; very few of us decide what we want to accomplish in life at, say age 15, and never deviate from it. It requires a strong sense of determination to achieve or realize these goals. Many obstacles and roadblocks are thrown in life's path. It is up to us to adapt and overcome. The strong, determined man or woman will press on while the weaker, less determined person will either give up or totally downgrade their goals to fit their victim mentality. I often tell people I have been knocked down but not knocked out. I press on.

So, at the point of realizing life's goals (I would argue few realize them all) or giving up on them, one may make a bucket list; again, those things to do before one dies. These may visits to exotic places, a return to the birthplace, skydiving, SCUBA diving, mountain climbing, writing a book or a memoir, providing a financial foundation for children or grandchildren, or simply "losing one's mind" and doing whatever, whenever, with whomever along the way. The key, I think, is the age at which the bucket list is made. Too young may be giving up on life due to a number of variables (terminal illness, for example). Too old well, something may not be physically possible at or after a certain age. So there must be a balance between the doable and the ridiculous. Who defines doable or ridiculous? The individual, provided he or she is strong enough to follow through or not succumb to family or social pressures.

Both life goals and a bucket list are positive and necessary to a focused, balanced life. And as tomorrow is not promised to any of us, I would recommend working on the life goals first. Accomplish them, or most of them, and then make your bucket list. There is no magical point in life that dictates when items can be marked off the buck list, but life is short and meant to be lived. Balance your goals and your list; the fulfillment of one can make the other more meaningful and enjoyable.

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