I share in my Op-Ed published in today’s LA Times why I think crowdfunding is not the way to go when it comes to underwriting your bucket list adventures. Not that I’m against crowdfunding. It has a great history and serves a purpose.
One fac
tor I didn’t mention that I think is at play in the rise of “narcissistic” fundraising is the degrading of our ability to delay gratification. The internet and other technologies have trained us to expect everything in an instant. But instant doesn’t work for bucket lists. In fact, instant disregards the very nature of a bucket list: we haven’t yet done something that we look forward to one day. It’s important enough, meaningful enough for us to put on a list and wait for it (or move slowly toward it, depending on your perspective).
I’ll admit that there have been multiple occasions where I have satisfied a life dream before even putting it on my list because I realized how much I had been longing to do or see that very thing at the moment it presented itself. And while those have been amazing experiences, the ones that would have otherwise been less significant but were long-awaited brought me more satisfaction.
My point? Be willing to wait on your life goals until you have saved up for them. The waiting can be an experience itself where you learn more and grow into someone who is better prepared to make the most of that life goal. I truly want to travel to Tuscany one day. It’s at the very top of my list. But in the meantime, I have a much longer list of things I will do to prepare for that day – like research where I’ll stay and what I’ll do. By the time I can afford it, I will be so excited and ready.
If you stopped by here after reading that Op-Ed, welcome. I hope you’ll check out my list of bucket list resources, which includes digital tools for writing and tracking your bucket list. There are some pretty cool ones out there that integrate social media (yes, you can engage with others about your list – I would just say refrain from asking them to fund it).
And if you haven’t already made a bucket list, particularly if you want to make one for your family that contains ideas of what you want to do before your kids are grown, check out my guidebook, Family Bucket Lists. I offer questions to help you make a more motivating, meaningful list than what you’d think of off the top of your head (if your list right now only involves travel, you are missing some amazing, easily reached goals). It is available in paperback and on every digital platform. You can download it now and be creating your list today or working through questions this weekend during family time.
