"Before I die..."

So, this is just a short post to share one of my favorite websites with all of you. Barefoot List is basically an online forum from which you can create and track you dream 'Bucket List'. The notion of creating a 'before I die...' list became obnoxiously popular circa 2007 when the Nicholson/Freeman movie 'The Bucket List' first hit theaters. Ever since, 'bucket listing' has been a fad seen around the world.

Don't get me wrong; I'm glad that so many people have been inspired to reflect on their lives and decide what they truly want to do with their time, or to push themselves to do something they never dreamed of. However, in general, when something like this becomes as overwhelmingly trendy as the "Bucket List" idea did, it does put me off quite a bit.

Ever since I can remember, I've had my own version of a "Bucket List"; some of the aspirations merely floated around in my head, while others got written down and stored away for safe keeping. And I can proudly say that I have crossed off a fair number of my top wish-list adventures: study abroad, go bungee jumping, go skydiving, try new foods in foreign lands, get published in a magazine, etc. etc. However, when you write it all down and begin to assess your progress, it can be an unexpectedly depressing experience. You start to realize that, although you have accomplished many of your life goals, you still have a long way to go before you can die happy.

And that's where Barefoot List comes in: here you can store, change, edit, cross-off and tally all of your bucket-listing fun. It helps you to keep track of what you've done and what you have to look forward to, rather than losing all those scrap pieces of paper behind the headboard and finding them when you move house 20 years later (Oh yeah...I never did go running with the bulls...). BFL also lets you put deadlines on your goals as an incentive to complete each of your tasks at your own pace.

Having been woefully dismissive of my own list in 2012, I recently rediscovered Barefoot List and am therefore free to carry on with my own 'before I die' shenanigans. Looking back at what has happened in the last year or so, I can now strike the following from my ongoing list: ask for a raise, create a holiday tradition for my family, learn how to mix a martini, attend my high school reunion, live alone, learn to play poker, try a new hairstyle, skydive, and visit South America. Not too shabby.

** Be sure to check out BFL for yourself and create a "Bucket List" all your own. What do you have to lose? **