As I was doing my personal development goals for this year, and working on a new version of my personal development model, I started thinking about my very large bucket list and realizing that many of them are way too ambitious. I’m just not likely to do them all in my lifetime. Same for my long-term travel goals. I need to be a lot more realistic than I have been, and it’s time to start figuring out just what it is I want to do for my bucket list. After all, there are only 846 days to go before I turn 50, I’m not a spring chicken anymore. 🙂

Let’s see how I am doing though as I go through each of them one at a time…

Number	Goal	Status	Keep or Drop
COMPLETED
1	Own a house	Completed – June 2007	—
2	Finish my website	Completed – January 2011 (polywogg.ca, thepolyblog.ca)Completed – Revamped September 2015 (polywogg.ca)	—
3	See solar eclipse	Completed – Ottawa, 2008	—
4	Own my own telescope	Completed – June 2013	—
5	Live abroad for 3 months	Completed – New York City, 2008	—
6	Develop a Top-500 Books To Be Read list	Completed – Developed the list, 2008	—
7	Get married for love	Completed – September, 2008	—
8	Have a child	Completed – May 2009	—
9	Romance on a beach	Completed – September/October 2008	—
10	Help someone through university	Completed – 2005+	—
11	Rent a theatre	Completed – June 2007	—
12	See Beethoven’s Fifth performed live	Completed – National Arts Centre Pops Orchestra, 2006	—
13	Design a game	Completed – January 2014	—
14	Write a short-story	Completed – 2006+	—
15	Write a play	Completed – 2007	—
16	Learn to golf	Completed – Ottawa, 2007	—
17	Spelunking or cave tubing	Completed – Hawaii, September 2008	—
18	Climb a mountain	Completed – Gaspé. 2006	—
19	Swim under a waterfall	Completed – Hawaii, September 2008	—
20	Snorkle with sea turtles	Completed – Hawaii, October 2008	—
21	Ride in a helicopter</t d>	Completed – Hawaii, September 2008	—
22	Ride in a submarine	Completed – Hawaii, September 2008	—
23	See a volcano	Completed – Hawaii, September 2008	—
24	Eat tropical fruit under a tree	Completed – Hawaii, September 2008	—
IN PROGRESS
1	Read the Top-500 Books	Slowly working on reading the items, reading challenge set for this year	Keep
2	Write HR Guide	Sections have been completed in previous years, and major update and rewrite started in November 2015About 30% done (as of February 2016)	Keep
3	Write a novel	Preliminary work done on Year of the Gods, trackers developed	Keep
4	Compile cookbook of great recipes	Preliminary list startedTried to create “family” cookbook for Malcolms / Hortons but no interestFocus only on own recipes at this point	Keep
5	Weight goal	This really isn’t a very good “bucket list” type item. It is a goal, but not a one-off thing. More of an ongoing health commitment.	Drop
6	See free lions, pandas, alligators, penguins, polar bears, dolphins	I saw dolphins in October 2008Rest are heavily travel dependent, and those goals were incredibly unrealistic both in terms of physical capabilities, time, and resources	Drop
7	See Northern and Southern lights	I saw the Northern Lights in 2008, but not very clearly.Would like to see Northern Lights in extensive clear show.Southern Lights are travel dependent, and I don’t see any opportunities where that’s going to happen.	Drop
NOT YET COMPLETED
1	Make a garden	I confess I like the premise of this one. Something earthy, something back to nature about it. But I don’t really have the room in the backyard for it, nor any place else for one. Seems unlikely.	Drop
2	Design a house	On some level, I think this is about more creative than intellectual. I like the idea of doing a house, maybe just in lego even, that incorporates all the best features I would love to have in a house. But to what end? It’s not like I’m ever going to build it, or have the money to do so. An itch to scratch, but hardly important enough to sit on a shortened bucket list.	Drop
3	Have a cottage	The short version for this one is I would love to have a cottage but I can’t afford it. The only way this ever happens is if my writing career produces some cash, which I also don’t see happening to the level I would need to own a cottage. Saddens me to say, but this one won’t happen.	Drop
4	Learn photography	I’m keeping this one, but I don’t know if “learn” is the right verb. I’m not interested in winning awards, or even entering contests, or running a business. But I do want to be able to be good enough that I like some unique shots, particularly landscape, and where occasionally others would think it was borderline artsy. I have a few shots like that from the last couple of years, but more by happenstance than design.	Keep
5	Drive standard transmission	Interesting, but not important enough for a bucket list	Drop
6	Learn sign language	Attractive, but not important enough to me for my shortened bucket list, just more of a learning area.	Drop
7	See a meteor shower	When I compiled my earlier list, I thought meteor showers were really interesting and fascinating. Then I realized the reality is that most of them are complete busts. Lying on the ground looking up for what is often a streak every few minutes, rather than several a minute. If it happens, it happens, but hardly bucket list worthy.	Drop
8	Learn to knit	Like with sign language, this is an interesting skill to acquire, but more of an ongoing learning option rather than a bucket list item.	Drop
9	Learn to juggle	This is more of a one-off thing, not something I would likely use regularly, so not really a learning activity. Just not sure it will make my final bucket list, but I’m keeping it for now.	Keep (pending final list)
10	Learn origami	I have this as a bucket list item, for the “learn” side of things, but it is partly green for the relaxation side. I think it belongs more in my ongoing list than a bucket list.	Drop
11	Present to more than 1000 people	When I created the list, I thought this was a good scary goal. Blue, but more “red” for dynamic leadership. But I’m a blue, not a red. And I can reach my audience through my writing, I don’t need a room to do it in person.	Drop
12	Teach a course	Same as for the presentation. I’ll reach my audience through written form.	Drop
13	Genealogy research	I did some basic genealogy some time ago, and even collected some info on my dad’s side of the family. Apparently my uncle did a bunch on my mother’s side. I love the premise, I do, but none of the research interests me. Partly as I’m not very good at it either, maybe, but the easy stuff is fine and I’ll dig up some stuff on my grandfather. But I am far more interested in the life stories of J’s grandparents and great-grandfather than I am in the stuff farther back.	Drop
14	Send a letter in a bottle	Romantic almost, but hardly important enough for a bucket list commitment.	Drop
15	Read the Bible	This is already in my Top 500 list of books, so essentially duplicated here.	Drop
16	Attend a spiritual retreat	Not really me, I’m a loner not a joiner. So why would I do this where I’m alone with others? Like the premise but more a one-off thing for me to do by myself than a formal retreat.	Drop
17	Learn to dance	Based on lifestyle, physical shape, etc., I have no real need for this now or likely any point in the future. I can do basic stuff, good enough.	Drop
18	Learn to play a musical instrument	I honestly don’t know what instrument it would be…guitar maybe or some basic piano. I just don’t see myself making the time for this against the tons of other things I want to do with my life.	Drop
19	Attend Mardi Gras or NYE in Times Square-like event	This is a great one-off thing to do, and I like the premise. Maybe not on the scale of MG or NYE, but something smaller-scale would be fun.	Keep
20	Play Pai Gow poker in a casino	I love the premise, just don’t see myself ever investing the time or money to do this.	Drop
21	Have a movie extravaganza weekend	I’m going to keep this one. I keep planning on doing it, and even set aside some time once, but then did other things that weekend instead.	Keep
22	Watch Best Picture Oscar winners back to 1928	This is the visual alternative to the Top 500 books, seems doable.	Keep
23	Be a film extra	Fun, but hardly important enough to keep as bucket list item.	Drop
24	Make a movie	I love the idea, I really do. But the resource and time constraints seem unlikely to permit to do this the way I want to.	Drop
25	Read complete Shakespeare, Dickens	Already covered by the Top 500 list.	Drop
26	Write a screenplay	I originally thought I would go this route, but I’m more likely to focus on some fiction and non-fiction pieces. Not a priority.	Drop
27	Write a novella	This one strikes me more as a happy accident than a plan — if I write a short novel or really long short-story, it will be novella-length. No need to keep as separate goal.	Drop
28	Attend major sporting event	I liked the idea of this when I created the list … going to a Super Bowl, Grey Cup, Stanley Cup final, World Series, World Cup, etc. But the cost would be prohibitive, I just don’t care that much about the outcome to justify going. Maybe if Jacob wants to go to something he’s really passionate about. Otherwise? Probably not.	Drop
29	Attend hot air balloon festival	I’ve done the hot air balloon ride thing, this was more about going up with a whole bunch of other balloons. But not important enough to me to include in a revised and shortened bucket list.	Drop
30	Meditation	I’ve done the basics, and it is more linked to yoga and stretching now, calming the mind. Not really a bucket list item.	Drop
31	Slide down a firepole	Fun, yes; important, no.	Drop
32	Give blood	This one annoys me. I have tried a couple of times to give blood, and because I’m on blood pressure medication and reflux medication, no one has been able to tell me that I definitely CAN give blood or that I definitely CANNOT give blood. Given that I’m not a big fan of needles, etc., this is a major commitment for me to keep doing, and I’m annoyed that when I have got the courage up, the system failed me. I’m taking it off my bucket list, moving it just to my regular ongoing health stuff.	Drop
33	Skate Rideau Canal both ways	I don’t know if this is a true bucket-list-type item, but I’m keeping it. Mostly it is just a proxy for being able to be strong enough and fit enough to actually do it, but I’m keeping it.	Keep
34	Ride a dogsled	Fun, exciting, different? Yes. Important? No.	Drop
35	Whitewater rafting	Fun, exciting, different? Yes. Important? No.	Drop
36	Kayak a river	Fun, exciting, different? Yes. Important? No.	Drop
37	Go fly fishing	Something I really want to try sometime.	Keep
38	Rappel or use a zipline	Something I really want to try sometime. Okay, no, I really don’t, the whole “afraid of heights” thing, but I’m keeping it anyway.	Keep
39	Try surfing	Fun, exciting, different? Yes. Important? No.	Drop
40	Try rock climbing	Fun, exciting, different? Yes. Important? No. Plus, I’m nowhere near in good enough shape to do it.	Drop
41	Try snowboarding	Fun, exciting, different? Yes. Important? No.	Drop
42	Treetop sleeping	Something I really want to try sometime. Like having a treefort again.	Keep
43	Cross a rope bridge	The whole “afraid of heights” thing, and I have other height things.	Drop
44	Cage diving with sharks	Something I really want to try sometime. I’ve done a simple reef dive with sharks, but need bigger sharks.	Keep
45	Upgrade SCUBA certification	I love the premise, i.e. that I would upgrade and therefore use it, but I’d have to be able to be in a location or travelling often enough to use it. Not likely.	Drop
46	Take athletic trip	I’m not even entirely sure what this entailed. Hiking? Cycling? Kayaking? It was more a proxy than anything, that I would be in good enough shape to undertake such a trip. Not likely anytime soon, and not important enough to me to keep on the list.	Drop
47	Horseback riding	I love horses, I think there is something inherently majestic about them. But I’ve never gone horseback riding, in part because since I have had the money to go, I’m too fat for the horses (most people don’t know there is a weight limit at most horseback riding places, because it doesn’t apply to them, but there is a limit, and I’m over it). Plus not important enough to me to keep on the list.	Drop
48	Learn to sail	Fun, exciting, different? Yes. Important? No.	Drop
49	Learn to waterski	Something I really want to try sometime. I may completely suck at it, but I want to try.	Keep
50	Learn to play tennis	Fun, exciting, different? Yes. Important? No.	Drop
51	Learn a martial art	I can’t decide what to do with this one. It is a form of regular exercise proxy that I might actually do, but I’ve never found a form that really suited me. Ninjitsu was fun, but I’m not a Karate or TKD style person. Not sure about judo or jujitsu. Either way, not important enough to keep on a bucket list.	Drop
52	Learn archery	Something I really want to try sometime. I have wanted to ever since I was a kid. I had targets, did it a bit when I was younger. Always wanted to get back to it.	Keep
53	Learn to fence	Fun, exciting, different? Yes. Important? No.	Drop
54	Learn how to swim properly	This one could also say “skate” properly. I took some swim lessons a few years ago, but got sick almost immediately after starting. I am just not in good enough shape for it, and trying to swim while you’re completely congested sucks. I might take some lessons, but doesn’t need to be on the bucket list.	Drop
55	Milk a cow	Fun, exciting, different? Yes. Important? No.	Drop
56	Drive a convertible	Fun, exciting, different? Yes. Important? No.	Drop
57	Take a trip in an RV	Fun, exciting, different? Yes. Important? No.	Drop
58	Go houseboating	Fun, exciting, different? Yes. Important? No.	Drop
59	Ride in a gondola	Fun, exciting, different? Yes. Important? No.	Drop
60	Ride in an airboat	Fun, exciting, different? Yes. Important? No.	Drop
61	Take a cruise	Fun, exciting, different? Yes. Important? No.	Drop
62	Ride an elephant	Fun, exciting, different? Yes. Important? No.	Drop
63	See an iceberg	Fun, exciting, different? Yes. Important? No.	Drop
64	Visit a haunted house	Fun, exciting, different? Yes. Important? No.	Drop
65	Visit a castle	Fun, exciting, different? Yes. Important? No.	Drop
66	Ride on a tall ship	Fun, exciting, different? Yes. Important? No.	Drop
67	Travel to Territories, Grand Canyon, Galapagos, Ortona, Iceland, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Egypt, Antarctica	I think I need to take these off my “bucket list” and just have a separate sub-list for places I want to go. I’m pretty sure this list is completely unworkable.	Drop

Well, that was a brutal undertaking!