Ditch the Bucket List Today

By Stacey Himler

“We have to learn how to uncouple fear from uncertainty. Embrace uncertainty, feel the fear and move in. Embrace ambiguity. We wait for everything to be right all the time. That’s not life. Embrace uncertainty.”

That’s a quote from Dr. James Smith, Jr. He’s a motivational speaker, a teacher and a coach. He makes a living inspiring others, and works with our friends at Growing Bolder. He talks the talk and he walks the walk, sharing lessons he’s learned by moving forward in his own life. Dr. Smith went back to school to get his doctorate in his late fifties, and then he chose to flip his business model upside down the year that he turned 60.

The pandemic shut down Dr. James’ entire way of doing business. No more traveling, corporate appearances, keynote speeches or in-person workshops. So, he pivoted, rebuilding his website, launching a new podcast, and learning how to connect with clients online. How did he start moving forward? By asking himself an 8-word question: What are you going to do about it?

Was he afraid? Sure. Was there a lot of uncertainty in this bold, new venture? You betcha. But he took a risk and moved ahead anyway.

You may have read or heard the saying “The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it.” It’s been credited to several people, but whomever wrote it, it’s true. We draw up Bucket Lists adding dream after dream. We wait for the perfect moment to chase our dreams and, of course, the perfect moment never arrives. We plan to start walking tomorrow. We think about moving to a smaller place that’s easier to take care of, but we’re overwhelmed by the idea of downsizing a lifetime of mementos we’ve collected, and so we do nothing. We leave the big rocks for some far-off year.

So why are we waiting to live the life we want? Don’t wait for a deadly diagnosis to begin taking care of your health. A winning lottery ticket would be great, but your numbers may never come up. What can you do with what you have today? When is the ideal time to take your dream vacation? To make that move? The only perfect time, the only right time, the only time there is, is right now. So, stop waiting and start doing.

Are you waiting until tomorrow to make a positive change in your life? Delaying one more day just puts you into procrastination mode, and it sets you up for near-certain failure. We need to find the motivation to start and the willpower to continue. If there’s something you want to do, do it. Start today and stick with it for at least 30 days. That’s when habits begin to form.

Research shows that sticking with something for at least 30 days will triple your chances of achieving it. It also confirms that we are more likely to accomplish our goals if we have help. There is power and accountability in community. Whether it’s a neighbor to walk with, a travel agent to help plan a trip, or a local professional to call so you don’t have to do it alone. Small steps can lead to big changes. Most of us give up far too quickly on our dreams and goals. Start today, take some action, and the results will follow.

Another lesson from the not-so distant pandemic—it reminded us all that life is fleeting and tomorrow is guaranteed to no one. Is there an area in your life where you’re waiting for the perfect time to move forward? Maybe you want to take a trip, move closer to grandchildren, downsize into a smaller home, or move into a community where you can find new friends after a spouse’s death. What are you waiting for? Now is the time to lean into life, to take risks, to think big and to be bold. Bucket lists are about ‘eventually, one day, someday I’m gonna get around to it.’ Someday is not a day of the week. It’s time to jump now.

Ditch your bucket list. Book the trip. Try that language app. Enroll in that new dance class, buy a canvas and some paints, and get busy.

If your resolutions, your goals, your big rocks involved your home and stuff—Stacey and her team at Caring Transitions is ready, willing, and able to help in your next transition. But it’s up to you to take the leap, make the call, and put your dreams into motion. Caring Transitions of Southern Delaware offers compassionate assistance with relocation, downsizing, and online auctions.

If your resolutions, your goals, your big rocks involved your home and stuff—Stacey and her team at Caring Transitions is ready, willing, and able to help in your next transition. But it’s up to you to take the leap, make the call, and put your dreams into motion. Caring Transitions of Southern Delaware offers compassionate assistance with relocation, downsizing, and online auctions.