Why you should make a Life List

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If you are the goal-oriented type, you may sit down and write a bucket list – all the beautiful things you would love to do during your one precious life. Other people just lose their list or forgotten what they once upon a time dreamed of.

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Michael Ogden remembers the last day he saw his grandfather. He writes,

“My grandfather spent two hours sharing the important parts of his life, as he saw them. He was a man who worked a lot. But to our surprise he only spent about two minutes discussing his job. For most of that afternoon he spoke of people who had played an important part in his life. He also spoke of particular moments that had brought him some peace, a laugh, an understanding.

Ogden’s grandfather told Ogden about both his successes and regrets. This made Ogden think about his own life. What experiences did he want to explore before he died? He made a list of all the things he wanted to do. Today’s Spotlight is on making life lists.

Ogden discovered that there was more he dreamed of doing in his life. For example, he loved music. He had even written some songs. One of his dreams was to record the music. So he decided to achieve this life goal and record his own album! He had a wonderful time and said,

“I knew that if I lived another five or 50 years, recording an album was an experience that I would remember for the rest of my life.”

Many adults around the world ask the same questions Ogden did. What experiences do they want to have before the end of their life? What things will they regret not doing? What things are important to them? Some people want to travel. Some people want to write a book or learn a new language. Some people want to spend more time with family. One way to help achieve these goals is to write them down in a list.

Sometimes it takes something sad to make you think about life goals. This happened to Caroline Miller. Miller’s father loved studying the travels of Odysseus, a well-known character from ancient Greek stories. She writes on her blog,

“My whole life I heard my intelligent father discuss his excitement for following Odysseus’ travels around the Greek islands... I thought this would be the first thing my father would do when his children went to college and started their adult lives.”

But Miller’s father never travelled to the places Odysseus went. He died at the age of 69 from a terrible disease. On the night he died, Miller and her family sat in his hospital room. They wondered why he never went after his dream. She writes,

“As I looked at my father’s body, all I could ask myself helplessly was why he did not do it. This thought made me sad.”

This experience influenced Miller to become a performance and life coach. She wanted to help other people set goals - and then help them achieve these goals. She encourages people to create a life list. A person creates a life list by writing down all the things they want to do. They keep it in a place where they can see it. This is so they do not forget about their goals. A life list can also help people establish what is important to them. It helps every-day goals lead to a larger goal. Miller tells NPR,

“Making progress towards valued goals does several things. One is it makes you happier. It also spills into other parts of your life, so you are more excited to achieve other goals in your life.”

Life list goals can be big, like finding a new job. One woman came to Miller because she wanted to go to medical school. Her job was to manage money and other resources. Her family thought her goal to go to medical school was not realistic. But Miller helped the woman make the steps to achieve her dream. With the help of Miller, and hard work, the woman went to medical school. She was able to complete this piece of her life list.

Life list goals can also be small. The Irish Times tells about Máire Godfrey. She was 99 years old. Godfrey decided to make a life list of things to do before her 100th birthday. She wanted to try things she had never done before. Her goals included visiting a courtroom, seeing a 3D film, and eating at McDonald’s. She even started a Facebook page where she shared her achievements.

There are many books to help a person decide what should be on their own life list. These books offer ideas like the best places to see or the best foods to try. And there are films about people trying to achieve their life goals. Many people are choosing to share their life lists on the internet too. Some people put their lists on their own website, like Caroline Miller does. And other people join internet communities to share their life lists. Anyone can join these communities. And usually they do not cost any money.

One of these communities is bucketlist.org. “Bucket list” is another name for “life list”. On this website, people can create their life list and share it with other people. They can show pictures of the goals they achieve. They can encourage each other to reach particular goals.

Creating a life list has become a popular idea. And it is easy to do. First, you need a place to write down your list. You can use a piece of paper and a pen or a computer or phone. Second, write down as many things you want to achieve as possible. Third, choose the most important goals. When you finish your list, keep it in a place where you will see it often. You can also share your list with friends and family, or on the internet.

Not everyone enjoys making a list. Some people like to live life as it comes. They enjoy experiences that happen by chance. But for many others, creating a life list can be fun and helpful. It can help you understand more about yourself and your dreams.

What about you? Do you think creating a life list is a good idea? What kinds of things would be on your life list? Tell us what you think. Or email us at radio@radioenglish.net. You can also find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/spotlightradio.

The writers of today’s program were Courtney Schutt and Hannah Koning. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet at www.radioenglish.net. This program is called “Why You Should Make a Life List”.

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