Bucket List

Last week was full of college memories.  This week 40 years ago R. M.  and I were at Miami U. taking our finals and planning the future.  Embarking on our own Defining Decade (I suggest you read the book by Meg Jay) R.M. was headed to UVA and I would stay at Miami for my Masters.

So it was fun to fly out to see R.M. and travel back to Cincinnati as he headed to Michigan.  Neither of us could accurately remember our graduation ceremonies nor did either of us have any pictures. 

At the last Vistage meeting, A.S. had us perform an exercise.  Using a visual timeline, we placed three years on a sheet of paper - birth, death and 2016.  Statistically, I chose 2040 (24 more years) as my year of death. A.S. then asked us to write above the line (and between 2016 and 2040) what we wanted to accomplish in those years (dreams, wishes, aspirations, goals --- your bucket list).  Then from 1954 to 2016 write the highlights of accomplishments to date (and lessons learned).

What struck me immediately was the impact a visual timeline has in reflecting on life.  Because the end date is unknown, we don't visually see our unique timeline and we therefore have the excuse to procrastinate.  How many things get "left behind" as time passes on?

I  have my list now -  time to get on with it.  What's on your list?