Here are 6 bucket list goals for women to achieve before dying. Women will know they have achieved these goals when they can say:
1. They gave themselves permission
Waiting for permission can kill your dreams. Waiting for approval from friends, family members, and acquaintances can stifle your life. Instead of depending on permission from others, give it to yourself. Give yourself permission to change careers mid-life if you’re loathing your job. Begin working on the novel you’ve been craving to write. Plunge into one of your passions in your free time and see if you can develop it into the full-fledged business you want to start. Throughout your life, it’s important to give yourself permission to do what you love and avoid constantly seeking approval from others.
2. They were authentic
In order to be authentic, you must learn who you are. Learn about what you love, what irks you, what makes you happy, and what you dread doing. Learn about what’s important to you and how you love to spend your time. Once you know who you are, work on living your life focused on your purpose, priorities, and passions. You don’t have to follow society’s norms. Seriously consider your passions- as ‘out there’ as they might seem- and study people who have done what you want to do. You have a unique personality and there is only one you. Take time to discover who you are and learn to maximize your amazing qualities. It will change your life.
3. They gained control of their finances
Becoming financially free opens your life to possibilities. Work toward getting your financial situation under control, by increasing your income, decreasing your spending, or paying off your debts. Once you become financially free, you can truly own your time. Your years can then be spent doing what you love to do, and not what you feel you have to do to make ends meet.
4. They did something scary every day
“Do one thing every day that scares you” is a great quote from Eleanor Roosevelt that encourages us to push beyond our comfort zones. Each time you do something out of your comfort zone, you learn how to manage your nerves and you gain confidence. By taking risks, you continually learn and grow.
5. They loved wholeheartedly
Don’t assume your loved ones know you love them. Tell them. Explain to your loved ones how much you admire them and appreciate them. Compliment them, encourage them, and inspire them. Be truly present when you spend time with them. Be vulnerable; let them know your true self. Laugh with them and cry with them. Build them up when the world tears them down. Let them know you are there for them and you love them, no matter what.
6. They built something that will outlast them
One important stage in the human lifespan, according to German psychoanalyst Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, is creating something that will last beyond your lifetime. For some people, having children satisfies this life stage, but you can build something completely unrelated to having a family. You could write a book, develop a scholarship fund in your name at your alma mater, or help pass a law that will reduce the carbon footprint of corporations for years to come. There are endless possibilities of things you can do to leave this world a better place.