Sharing some unique bucket list ideas to help you live your best life–this post includes five printable bucket list so you can get started today!
What do you want to do before you die? You’ve probably thought about this, even if you haven’t officially compiled your goals on paper.
While having a bucket list (or 101 life goals) may seem cliche, it’s actually a great way to tangibly map out your life goals and decide what’s most important to you.
Bucket lists are also a great way to become motivated to excel in your career, boost your health and wellness, up your financial game, or travel more. Walt Disney may have been on to something when he famously said “If you can dream it, you can do it.” Bucket lists are here to help you along the way.
Even if you don’t cross off every single item on your bucket list, you’ll probably learn a lot about what’s important to you and where your priorities are. Remember not to be too hard on yourself if any of your bucket list items don’t happen — the adventure is in the process, not the destination.
Not sure where to start with compiling your unique bucket list ideas? Take a look at these bucket lists below as a source of inspiration.
They’re broken down into five categories: traveling, wellness, money, career, and everything else. There’s even a blank one you can print out and customize to your own unique goals. Happy bucket listing!
Unique Bucket List Ideas
Bucket List Ideas for Travel
It makes sense that some of the most common bucket list ideas are travel-related, as learning about a different country and culture can be a life-changing experience. Not only is seeing the world beneficial for you, but this is one of the best learning experiences you can provide if you have kids.
Traveling allows children to discover a world outside their own, and understand and appreciate the diversity that life has to offer. Below is a printable list of travel-related bucket list ideas.
- Swim in each of the four major oceans
- Visit at least three out of the seven new Wonders of the World
- Touch six out of the seven continents (Antarctica is optional!)
- Journey to the Grand Canyon
- Road trip across the entire United States
- Go on a week-long luxury villa stay or luxury cruise
- Experience the Northern Lights
- Dive at the Great Barrier Reef
- Hike through the Himalayas
- Go on a wildlife safari
If this list isn’t detailed enough for you, here are some additional ideas to help round it out!
Swim in the Major Oceans and Seas
- Atlantic Ocean
- Pacific Ocean
- Indian Ocean
- Arctic Ocean
- Mediterranean Sea
- The Dead Sea
- The Red Sea
Visit all Eight Wonders of the World
There are actually seven new wonders and one “honorary” wonder!
- Honorary Member: The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt
- The Great Wall of China
- The ruins of Petra in Jordan
- The Colosseum in Rome
- Chichen Itza in Yucatan, Mexico
- Machu Picchu in Cuzco, Peru
- Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh, India
- Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Other Travel Bucket List Ideas
- Sail around the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador
- Island hop around Greece
- Spend a week camping off the grid
- Spend a week in each of the major “global” cities (New York, Paris, London, and Tokyo)
- Swim with wild pigs in Exuma, Bahamas
Bucket List Ideas for Your Career
According to a recent study, the average person will spend over 13 years of their life at work. This is why it’s so important to set career goals for yourself so you find fulfillment and joy in this huge part of life. Here is a career-focused printable to help you stay motivated on the job.
- Reach “expert” level in your field
- Mentor a younger or less experienced coworker
- Master a new work-related skill each year
- Speak at an industry conference or event
- Establish a healthy work-life balance
- Take a month-long vacation
- Start a business or side gig for something you are passionate about
- Have a positive work attitude every day
- Receive a big promotion
- Lead a major project through successful implementation
Your career bucket list can be a bit tricky to develop since many of the goals take time to reach. However, that just makes them all the more worthwhile! Here are a few more career-focused bucket list ideas.
Career Development Goals
- Find a job you love
- Find a way to love the job you have
- Negotiate a raise with your boss
- Write a book using the expertise you’ve gained during your career
- Tell someone how they’ve inspired you
- Teach a workshop on your job skills at your local community center
- Complete industry certifications
- Take a job where you have to travel
- Support a cause that’s important to you through donations or volunteering
- Retire early!
Personal Development Goals
- Learn how to negotiate workplace conflicts
- Learn something new about your industry every day
- Take more risks and try out-of-the-box ideas
- Figure out your personal brand
- Identify your strengths
- Identify your weaknesses
- Learn how to take constructive criticism
- Compliment a coworker every day on the good work they are doing
- Have pride in yourself and value your contributions
- Set a good example for your those you mentor
- Memorize list of books of the Bible in order
Bucket List Ideas for Health and Wellness
Setting goals for personal wellness is essential to healthy living. Most of us probably wouldn’t choose to eat healthy food, exercise regularly, or meditate if we didn’t care about our futures. Of course, each person is different and comes from a different background, so wellness goals vary from person to person.
- Go vegetarian for one month
- Go vegan for one month
- Eat an entirely plant-based diet for one month!
- Cook all your own meals for two weeks straight
- Meditate for 15 minutes every night before bed
- Schedule an appointment with a mental health counselor
- Get a gym membership
- Compliment yourself every day in the mirror
- Floss every night!
- Tell someone you love them every day (yourself and pets count too!)
Here are a few more creative wellness bucket list ideas to consider!
Physical Health Goals
- Find a fitness routine that works for you and stick to it
- Stretch for five minutes every morning
- Stand up and stretch every hour at work
- Eliminate processed foods from your diet
- Wear sunscreen for all outdoor activities
- Visit your physician every year for a check-up
- Reach your goal weight
- Get a minimum of eight hours of sleep every night
- Stay up-to-date on vaccines and flu shots
- Try a new type of exercise such as cycling, weight lifting, or barre classes
Emotional Health Goals
- Work on giving up any negative feelings you’ve been holding on to
- Get a plant for your workspace
- Find something to laugh at every day
- Take time to appreciate nature
- Make time for yourself every day
- Organize your home and workspace — an organized life leads to an organized mind!
- Try yoga, reiki, acupuncture, or another type of relaxing therapy
- Spend time with people who make you happy
- Learn to stand up for yourself
- Focus on gratitude
Bucket List Ideas for Finances
One of the best things about creating a financial-focused bucket list is that you’re actually killing two birds with one stone. Not only will this type of goal setting help you get your finances in order, but a healthy bank account will also allow you to cross off items on your other bucket lists.
- Read five books about healthy finances
- Learn to do your own taxes
- Begin a college fund for each of your children
- Build up an emergency or rainy day fund
- Start a family vacation fund
- Work toward an excellent credit score
- Pay off your student loan debt
- Pay off all credit card debt
- Max out your IRA contribution
- Buy your own home and pay off the mortgage
If that isn’t enough to look forward to, here are 20 more goals for financial success.
Ambitious Financial Goals
- Donate regularly to a charity you’re passionate about
- Go back to school for your Master’s or PhD
- Make a large purchase with only cash
- Start your own business
- Hire 10 employees
- Fully fund a charitable event
- Fully fund your IRA for one year
- Start a scholarship fund in your name
- Pay off someone else’s debt
- Become a millionaire!
Finances and Family
- Teach your children the value of money from an early age
- Start a spare change jar at home
- Take out a life insurance policy
- Write your will
- Try to achieve a “no spend” month where you don’t buy anything extra outside regular bills
- Donate to a charity of your children’s choice
- Keep accurate spending records
- Create a family budgeting plan
- Go green and save money on water and electricity bills
- Invest in a promising company
Bucket List Ideas for Everything
There are so many other unique bucket list ideas that don’t fit into these categories, so here’s one more list of miscellaneous ideas. If you’re passionate about something, it’s almost always worth pursuing.
- Become fluent in a new language
- Learn how to code
- Take an archery class
- Take up knitting or crocheting
- Try an extreme sport
- Learn how to play an instrument
- Try to learn a martial art
- Wake up to see the sunrise every day for a week
- Adopt a rescue animal
- Swim under a waterfall
Here are more bucket list ideas to get your imagination going.
Bucket List Adventures
- Ride horses on the beach
- Go bungee jumping
- Take a hot air balloon ride
- Visit an elephant sanctuary
- Attend the Olympics
- Be in the Saturday Night Live audience
- Be in a parade float
- Ride a mechanical bull
- Go skinny dipping at night
- Write a love letter
Bucket List Achievements
- Make a video that goes viral
- Learn to play chess
- Run a marathon, half marathon, or 5k
- Conquer a lifelong fear
- Learn how to cook an extravagant dish
- Finish a classic novel
- Paint a piece of art for your home
- Learn how to drive a stick shift
- Take a two-week vacation by yourself
- Set a Guinness world record
So, are you inspired yet? It’s never too late to start planning your bucket list. Open your mind to the possibilities ahead and make them happen. Below is a blank bucket list to get you started.
Have you started planning for your family’s future? Whether you have children now or want to grow your family, it’s important to start building a secure life now. This means getting your finances in order and figuring out how you are going to achieve everything you want in life.