** I just switched my domain over to nikkilittle.com, so if the logo is still missing when you read this, please overlook it! It will be back soon. And I lost all social shares on my posts. Boo-hoo! But big thanks to the Don, Hubert Sawyers, for making the switch.
It’s almost the end of the year, which means many people are thinking about how they can improve their lives in the coming year. The gym is always jam packed around this time of year, and people are talking and posting online about their goals and resolutions.
Last year, I wrote about what to keep in mind when setting New Year’s Resolutions, and I actually think setting resolutions and/or goals is better than doing nothing to improve whatever it is you need to work on in your life in the coming year. But this year, I’ve decided to change things up.
Rather than setting resolutions or goals, I created a bucket list. Starting now and moving forward every new year, I plan to work on achieving what is on that bucket list. I may add or delete items before the turn of each new year as my life changes, but that’s OK.I have to thank PR pros Heather Whaling and Arik Hanson for the bucket list inspiration. Heather posted on Facebook about achieving something on her PR bucket list. That led Arik to write a post about what’s on his PR bucket list, which in turn led to other PR pros like Justin Goldsborough and Matt LaCasse creating their bucket lists. I wanted to broaden mine out to also include personal items on my list and use this as an opportunity to do something new at the end of the year that isn’t tied to a resolution.
So, here’s what I have so far on my bucket list:
1. Visit my Chilean family again – I studied abroad in Valdivia, Chile my last semester in college in the fall of 2006, and it was the most amazing experience. I was so fortunate to be placed with such an amazing family, and I miss them dearly. I promised them I would come back some day. Sadly, the travel time is long and flights are expensive, so it’s not a trip I can take every year. But I am determined to go back…hopefully more than once.
2. Pay it forward, but in a really big way – You always read about or see heartwarming stories in the news (especially during the holidays) about a really awesome act of kindness, like a random person replacing a family’s stolen Christmas gifts. I want to be that person one day. I want to learn about someone in need and do something really big to help them out. I’m a sucker for helping nonprofits now, but at least once in my life, I want to do something that completely changes a person or family’s life in a really positive way.
3. Travel to Hawaii and Italy – Do I really need to elaborate on this one?! Italy is also high on the list because I’m Italian and my great-grandparents are from there.
4. Attend Wimbledon – Tennis is my favorite sport, and ever since I started playing in high school, I told myself I would make it to Wimbledon one day. I’ll seriously be in tennis nerd heaven when I do.
5. Establish a yearly scholarship in my name for a student in the integrative public relations program at Central Michigan University – I have to thank PR pro Allan Schoenberg for this inspiration. He gives a scholarship to a student in the IPR program at CMU every year, and I definitely plan to do this one day.
6. Be part of a fashion designer’s photo shoot and/or be featured in a fashion publication, website or blog – If you know me even the tiniest bit, you know I’m into fashion. I think it would be so fricken cool to be part of a fashion designer’s photo shoot, or to be featured in a fashion publication (think Hour Detroit or StyleLine in metro Detroit). Who says you have to model professionally to do something fun like this?
7. Provide PR/communications services to a major retailer, fashion designer or anything else fashion related – Back to that whole love of fashion, it would be crazy fun to do fashion PR. At least for one company or designer.
8. Have children (ideally two) – I could write a whole post on this based on how concerned I am with how I’m going to balance a family and a career that includes more than just my day-to-day job. I know, I know – people do it all the time. It can be done. And I’ll do it someday. Hopefully before I’m 40!
9. Receive some type of PR/communications award or honor – As of right now, I don’t have a particular award that I’d like to aim for. But I think it would be such an honor to receive at least one award related to my career.
10. Continue contributing articles and blog posts to sites/blogs I’m not affiliated with in any way, and keep aiming higher – I’ve written a fair share of guest blog posts, and I freelance for Metromix Detroit. I want to continue contributing content to other sites and get published on a site like Harvard Business Review or Forbes.
I have a few bucket list “maybes”, such as being an adjunct professor, writing or co-authoring a book and owning or co-owning a company. These three things sound appealing when I really start to think about them, but I can’t say without hesitation that I want to accomplish them in my life. So for now, they’ll sit in the “maybe” file.
This is more along the goal spectrum, but I am making one commitment to myself starting in 2012:
I will not commit to anything new unless I receive as much value from it as I’m providing.
At first glance, that may seem extremely selfish and monetary driven. It’s definitely the former, but not the latter. And it’s selfish because I’ve learned I need to take care of myself as much as I take care of others. I have been hammering this concept home to a good friend the past few months, and I know I need to take my own advice. I have to know that what I’m investing my time/talent/resources in is helping me grow and achieve my personal/professional goals or items on my bucket list, or else I simply can’t commit to it. If you’re in a similar position or previously have been, you’ll understand where I’m coming from, and you’ll know this isn’t a purely selfish “it’s gotta be all about me” decision. It’s more a way to keep my sanity and make sure I have enough time to dedicate to the important things in life.
If you have a bucket list, share in the comments what’s on your list. Or, if you decide to write your own post, link to it in the comments so I can check out what’s on your list.
I wish you all a very happy, healthy and safe New Year! Thanks for reading, commenting and sharing my posts. It’s all much appreciated.