by Karen Banes

Created on: January 12, 2009   Last Updated: May 27, 2009

The movie "The Bucket List" features two terminally ill men who each decide to create a list of things to do before they die. While the subject matter is depressing, the concept is intriguing and inspiring to many people, maybe because of the high-pressured, time-starved, money orientated way we live our lives these days.

Few of us have the time to even think about what we really want in life, much less to actually achieve it, but creating a life list can be a way to focus on our true passions and achieve things we would otherwise barely even find time to dream about.

Creating a list of life goals can be done in one short brainstorming session, and once you have your list on paper you're likely to add to it and adapt it as you go through life. The idea of the bucket list is that it's your own personal wish list, so while your career, education and income might feature, it's more about personal goals that are important and meaningful to you as an individual.

If you want to create a meaningful list of life goals for yourself remember the following points:

Don't be influenced by what you think you should want. If you have see the Mona Lisa' on your list and you're not actually an art fan, or your goals involve a lot of world travel when really you hate to fly, you're probably falling into the trap of basing your list on collective values. Take some time to think about your own personal values and start coming up with goals based on those.

It might be useful to just "free write" for a while. Let your subconscious take over and don't think too hard about what you're putting down on paper. You may surprise yourself. There may be things on your list even you didn't know you wanted to do.

Be specific. If you want to go to Italy but don't really know why, think about what you want to see in Italy, where you want to stay, even what you want to eat. Craft a dream trip that will really inspire you to be motivated to achieve it.

Inspire yourself with your past. What did you want to be when you were a child? Is there anything you used to do that you would like to take up again and build on. What was your favorite childhood book or movie and why? What was it about? Where was it set? Clues to your true passions may be hidden in the life you lived before adult rules and responsibilities kicked in.

Make a plan to achieve your goals. Break them down into smaller chunks, especially if they require a big financial investment. Maybe you can't fly to Argentina today but you can start saving towards the air fare. Motivate yourself by setting achievable weekly and monthly goals and celebrating when you get there.

Edit your list regularly. Don't hesitate to add new things or cross off the ones that are no longer important to you. Changing your list can be a sign of personal growth. If your wish list remains static it probably means you're stuck in a rut and not really exploring life's possibilities as they present themselves.

Essentially, the aim of your list is to help you live a more meaningful, fulfilled and happy life, so go ahead and set those goals. Just make sure you believe they are worth achieving.

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