One year ago this month, I accomplished one of my greatest life’s accomplishments – moving to Austin, Texas. It isn’t that I had planned for years to move to Austin. It’s that I had planned for years to create another chapter in my life beyond the one I had been happily living in Louisville, KY.
Moving had been on my bucket list. It’s something I had known I wanted to do long before I got comfortable with my life in Louisville. Comfort is one of those things that holds both positive and negative emotions for many of us. We want enough of it to enjoy life, but too much of it can prevent us from taking risks and can sabotage our dreams.
Many of us have bucket lists. Some of the things on our lists are small, but bucket lists by their nature, tend to be filled with the big stuff, our grand intentions in life.
Most people fail to complete their bucket list items, not for lack of desire, but because of their inability to break their long-term goals down into small, achievable steps. It’s these small steps that would allow them to be working toward them now, even though it may take years to turn them into a reality. Many of these things require time and money and unless we have a plan in place that holds them as a priority, we will fall short of achieving them.
When I decided I wanted to leave Louisville one day, the first thing I did was determine where I might want to live. This was ten years before I moved, by the way. I first identified what I most valued in my life and what cities best represented those values. Then I created a plan to visit each of those places.
And of course throughout this period, I knew I needed to save a lot of money and develop my career into one that would allow me to move; both of which required a disciplined plan.
Many of you reading this article know the end of this story. I decided to test the water and try out one of my target cities. I kept my house in Louisville and commuted every other week to an apartment I rented in Denver. I was willing to take the risk and give it a try, and while it wasn’t the right city for me, it was the right experience. It was just what I needed to develop the confidence to later pursue my move to Austin.
Take Action:
- Take time to check-in and evaluate your long-term goals. Do they still resonate with you?
- If you haven’t set long-term goals, take some time to consider what they are.
- Determine what you can do now to get started. Do you need to start saving money? Do you need to develop your self-confidence? Do you need to develop a new skill? Do you need to flesh out the details of your goals?
- Break things down into bite-sized pieces, to make them manageable and measureable.
- Create your plan.
- Create an accountability structure for yourself that will ensure you stay focused and disciplined.
Some people can take these actions steps on their own. However, others need someone to help guide them through these steps, offering a roadmap toward achievement of their bucket list. If you need assistance starting or attaining one of your goals, I would love to help!