Why is it that more of us don't have a bucket list? A list of things to do before we die or before we retire or right after we retire.
A movie was made about this subject starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. It is mentioned a lot in news or magazine articles. The concept seems to be ubiquitous. It's common knowledge as to what it is.
So why don't we all have a bucket list of what we want to do, see, experience, or have?
I know of very few people that don’t want to travel now or in the near future. If asked, where are the places you would like to go, they might be able to rattle off a few places they want to go, like the Grand Canyon, Tokyo, or the Caribbean. But while there is a lot of places mentioned, there isn't a list or note about where to go, what to see, and when to do it.
Same with the items we want in our life. We tend to think in more general terms. New car. New house. The question posed isn't specific enough. So, the question you have to ask is, what is your dream car? And they might say the new Corvette. But it's also not written down anywhere. Or recorded in an app on your electronic device.
So, let's start one. Be specific. Don’t speak or write in generalities.
I will start.
I want to spend one month per year in Europe after our last son goes to college. And I want it to be 4 weeks, back-to-back. Not a week here and there. And I want it to be in one country. Say, Italy, like in the Tuscan region. A quaint little town, close enough to drive to a train station where we could do trips to other areas, but our home base would be in this little town. Where we would have coffee each morning in the same spot, have lunch or dinner in the same little restaurants. I would need to set aside a day each week to do some work, but I could do this from anywhere.
I would like to rent a beach house for a month as well. Have the kids come and go as they please, bring their friends if they wish. Spend time with my wife there, working some, playing some. And just enjoying the beach life. We have always liked Litchfield, but it could be Holden beach or someplace else too. A beach house big enough to be spread out but also cozy enough to have family game nights and dinners together with friends.
I want a Honda Goldwing.
I will leave it there for now.
Get started on your list!
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Alex Bishop, CRPC®, MS, is a Private Wealth Advisor and Franchise Owner with Bishop Financial Partners, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC in Huntersville, NC. He specializes in fee-based financial planning and asset management strategies and has been in practice for 23 years. To contact him, https://www.ameripriseadvisors.com/alex.h.bishop or alex.h.hishop@ampf.com.
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