15 Bucket List / Lifetime Goals Achieved So Far: The Dream vs. the Reality

15 Bucket List Lifetime Goals Achieved: The Dream vs. the Reality

When you’re a child and a 20-something, you dream of doing many things during your life. Although you don’t formally label it a bucket list — or a lifetime goal — that’s what it is.

What childhood and early adult dreams have you accomplished so far? How did they work out?

Some great bucket list resources are available online at http://bucketlistjourney.net/2011/07/45-inspiring-bucket-lists-that-i-stalk/.

Here are a few of the bucket list items I’m accomplished — comparing the dream vs. the reality:

1) Dream: Be a teacher. Taught several college classes while I was working as a bank manager and during the years I was a stay-at-home mom. Was also a corporate trainer for a short time. Reality: Teaching was a lot harder than anticipated. One college class was held at 6 p.m. for working adults and lasted four hours. Even I didn’t want to hear myself talk for that long – but it was entertaining watching the students’ eyes roll back in their heads.

2) Dream: Write a book. Have completed two books – one a co-written self-published paperback (out of print now) and another an ebook currently available. Reality: Fun! A lot of work, though. Neither one made me rich, unfortunately…

3) Dream: Become a newspaper reporter. In my current job, I’ve been the editor of the organization’s employee newsletter for eight years and love it. Also co-wrote a weekly newspaper column in the local newspaper for two years with the friend who co-wrote the paperback book with me. Reality: Fun!

4) Dream: Work with computers. Have taught computer training courses, been a self-taught web developer and now a big blogger (at work and at home). Reality: Fun.

5) Dream: Get married. Reality: It didn’t work out that well.

6) Dream: Have a child. Reality:  It worked out very well! Have a wonderful son.

7) Dream: Travel to Europe. Went for a six-week trip during one high school summer, taking French classes in the mornings and sight-seeing in the afternoons. While there, we saw naked people in the play “Hair.” Reality: Fun!

8) Dream: Get a dog. Reality: It  didn’t work out real well once the puppy grew up and I realized I wasn’t a “big dog” person! (However, my son has an adorable dog that I just love — realize now that I’m a “small dog” person.)

9) Dream: Get a master’s degree. Reality: When I quit college to get married, it was sort of touch-and-go for a while, but I did it!

10) Dream: Travel to other continents. Reality: Took a cruise several years ago that started in Sydney, Australia, and went to Bora Bora and the nearby islands and ended in Hawaii. That was very, very cool — a trip of a lifetime! Also spent six weeks abroad in high school.

11) Dream: See the Western U.S.  Reality: Took a tour several years ago and visited the Grand Canyon and several other famous national parks. It was great.

12) Dream: See California. Reality: Took a trip last year and went to San Francisco (my very favorite town now next to Charleston, S.C.), San Diego and a few other nearby towns. Very fun.

13) Dream: Take a cruise. Reality: Have been lucky enough to take more than 13 cruises so far! It’s my favorite way to vacation.

The following two goals are good examples of why people say “watch out what you ask for”…

14) Dream: Have crutches. That’s an odd goal for a kid, I realize, but it seemed glamorous and exciting. Reality: It really bites! Eight years ago, I broke my foot and had a cast, crutches and a wheelchair for four months during the heat of a South Carolina summer. Not fun. At all.

15) Dream: Use one of those poles with a nail on the end to pick up trash along the road. (Another odd childhood goal.) Reality: Volunteered at work last year to do a road clean-up on a Saturday morning and thought the big day had finally come, but they ran out of the sticks before they got to me. Instead, I bent over a whole lot and ended up with a bunch of mosquito bites and a backache the next day… Maybe next time!

How has the reality turned out for bucket list goals you’ve met?

Related blog posts:

My Bucket List

2015 Life Goals (Not Resolutions)

Things I’ve Learned This Week

Three Good Things: A New Twist on a Gratitude Journal

Ten Reasons to Keep a Sentence-a-Day Five Year Journal

Victory Log — List Today’s Accomplishments, Gain Satisfaction

Create a Happiness Jar — and Enrich Your Life in Less Than a Minute a Day

Feel-Good Way to Start 2015: List 200 Accomplishments

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7 Responses to 15 Bucket List / Lifetime Goals Achieved So Far: The Dream vs. the Reality

  1. Robin says:

    This is from my mom……”Great writing, Diane, please keep it up!”

  2. Anonymous says:

    Really? You wish for a stick to pick up roadside trash?

    • I didn’t want to own one of those sticks – I just wanted to use one to pick up trash on the ground. Remember…I was a kid…and it seemed like a fun thing to do at the time….

  3. Great list and fun perspective!! I should make my own. 🙂 Thank you for linking up at Thoughtful Thursday!
    Starla J @ Pressing In and Pressing On recently posted…It’s Back to School Week.My Profile

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