A Geek and his God

My Bucket List

From the post on “The Art of Manliness”

When we were kids, we all had dreams of cool and exciting stuff we wanted to do when we grew up. I remember dreaming about going to Japan and learning karate. But something happens when we become adults. We become more cynical and start thinking big adventures aren’t prudent or reasonable. We think we’re too busy to do anything extraordinary. And we’re surrounded by ordinary people who aren’t doing anything special either. So we settle and stick with doing what’s safe.

Of course, no matter how deeply we bury our dreams, regret over their demise will still come bubbling to the surface. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to look back on my life wishing I would have done x, y, and z when I had the chance. I am convinced that all men are made for adventure. And when there’s no adventure in our lives, a little part of us dies.

If you feel like you’ve been in a rut or that you’ve become too boring, creating a bucket list is the first step to adding a little more excitement back into your life. A bucket list can act as a road map to a life of adventure and fulfillment.
30 Days to a Better Man Day 12: Create Your Bucket List

Another article quote:

Make this a list of intentions, not wishes. Most life lists are wish lists. They’re a joy to make, but most are only good for an afternoon of giddy daydreaming. This is because the authors have no real intention to do the things they dream about. For the few hours it takes to draft a list it almost seems like these goals really are going to materialize out of thin air. It’s like you’re at a grand buffet of experiences, taking whatever you want for free. I’ll take a Harley Davidson here, a Tuscan getaway there…

Making the list is easy. But ten years later, the hike in the Pyrenees, the Boston Marathon, and the million-dollar business never happened, because they were only what you wanted to happen, not what you wanted to do. A person can accomplish an incredible amount in one lifetime, but only what they actually intend.
How to Make a Life List You’ll Actually Do: A Comprehensive Guide

Nick’s Bucket List
Things to do before I kick the bucket

1. Play every last board game I own
2. Pray and walk in the exact places Jesus was known to pray and walk
3. See (in person) the oldest surviving scriptures known to exist
4. Complete an olympic distance triathlon
5. Run a Marathon
6. Score the winning goal in a soccer game
7. Hold my newborn son/daughter
8. Buy a home in the country
9. Re-model my basement, make a game room (after getting my own house)
10. Write, direct and film a short-to-feature length movie
11. Go on a week long hike across mountains
12. Get over my fear and aversion to giving blood. Give over a gallon of blood (8 seperate donations)
13. Drive a Ferrari
14. Go hunting
15. Create, design and produce my own boardgame. Give it away to friends and post online for free.
16. Memorize an entire book of the Bible
17. See a Premiere League soccer game
18. Own a dog
19. Volunteer and serve the poor in an impoverished country
20. Oil paint a series of large landscapes and portraits. Frame and hang on my walls.
21. Learn how to draw caricatures. Create for friends and gifts.
22. Take an improv class
23. Give an anonymous $100 tip to someone who needs it
24. Visit a real castle, spend the night there if possible
25. Hold a monkey
26. Finish my list of books to read (separate list to come)
27. Swim in the Dead Sea
28. Visit a Nazi concentration camp
29. Be able to do a true unassisted handstand pushup

What now?
Pick one Item on Your Bucket List and Do Something to Set It in Motion

• Printed this list and will put it on my wall.
• I’m signing up for a sprint triathlon this year in September. Last year I did one and next year I hope to be ready for the Olympic distance triathlon.
• I have 3 separate ideas for board games already on paper. Have friends already asking me about my progress.
• Just purchased a nice camera and have script writing software ready.
• Created a list of my un-played boardgames, will post on my wall and start marking them off as I go.

Can’t come up with any goals? No problem, this site can help! Seriously its ridiculous!
SuperViva: Make a Life List and Live a Full Life