• Home
  • About
    • Reason Behind Blog Name
  • Blog
    • Lifestyle
    • Hong Kong
    • Beauty&Fashion
    • Food
    • Blog Journey
    • Entertainment
  • Free Resources
  • Recommendations
Watercolour Marks - Nicole's Blog
How to Do The Things You Always Wanted to Do
Blog

How to Do The Things You Always Wanted to Do

June 11, 2020
  • FACEBOOK
  • LinkedIn
  • TWITTER

Last updated on September 21st, 2022 at 09:33 am

This post may contain affiliate links meaning I might earn a small commission if you click on the link to make a purchase but it doesn’t cost you anything. Thanks for your support!

We all have things we want to accomplish on our bucket lists.

The list might be long, so long that it doesn’t feel doable.  

The key is to focus a few at a time.

Here is a step-by-step instruction guide on how to do things you always wanted to do.

Things You Always Wanted to Do Step #1 – Make a List

Start with a brain dump of anything you want to accomplish – things you always wanted to do.

A brain dump is where you set aside a certain amount of time, let’s say 5 minutes, for example, and you write down anything that comes to mind without filtering.

Too often, we overthink in our everyday lives. This activity takes all of that away.

Write down anything that comes to mind. Filtering is the next step so don’t think so much about this step.

Some of these might be a one-time-only thing like eating at this new restaurant.

Others will be more time-consuming such as taking an online course (Udemy has some great options) or watching a Chinese drama.

2) Choose 3-5 Activities

After doing a brain dump, the next step is the process of elimination.

The choosing part might be harder than you think.

Look at your list carefully and narrow it down to about 3-5 activities. This is just a rough estimate. It can be more or less.

If you have more things you want to do that are one-time only, you can pick 6 – 10. The number 3-5 is for those who want to pick things that take months to complete. 

Put the others aside for now. Focus on those 3-5 (or 6-10) activities first.

You can always come back for the others. There’s no need to eliminate them from your bucket list. They’re just temporarily going to be on the back burner for now as these 3-5 activities are going to be a priority.

We often try to convince ourselves that it is possible to do everything.

It is but not at once.

You’re going to have to make some hard decisions about what you want to do first.

3) Decide What You Can Reasonably Accomplish

Write Down What You Always Wanted to Do
How pretty is this picture? Isn’t it so relaxing and giving you hipster coffee shop chill vibes?

Your list is looking much smaller now.

The next step is taking time to figure out how much time to allocate for each activity. Be reasonable. 

For example, when the pandemic first started, one of my goals was to finish reading two books.

I would love to read 20 books but that’s not realistic for me.

(For those who love to read – it’s not a lot but I’m not the type to read books daily.)

So I decided I wanted to read 2 books. It’s a good start for someone who rarely reads.

Then, you break that goal down even further.

There are mainly two ways of doing this.

Back to the book example – I can read a chapter a day until the book is finished.

Or I can allocate 30 minutes a day to reading.

This can even be applied to online courses.

You can choose to spend a set amount of time on a course every day or challenge yourself to finish a chapter a day.

It depends on what the activity is.

If you’re trying to improve your singing skills, for example, you can’t really do a chapter a day. Spending x amount of time on the activity per day or week is going to be more suitable.

Do the same for the other activities. 

4) Draft Up a Schedule

Once you have decided how much time you want to spend on each activity, draft up a schedule.

When, during the day, will you do your chosen activity?

Is it right when you wake up? Or it is going to be a part of your nighttime self-care routine?

Schedule that time in your calendar.

Seeing a schedule right in front of you will nudge things along. It will give you an idea of how your goal will fit into your current schedule. See what your day will look like now.

5) Put Up Reminders

Self-Reminders
Put up self reminders

You might feel extremely motivated in the beginning but when life gets busy, you might eventually forget about your goal.

Put up self-reminders so you won’t let yourself forget.

You can do things like…

  • Put up sticky notes on your fridge or desk or bulletin board (if you have one)
  • Set an alarm on your phone
  • Write it down on your desk calendar

Constantly remind yourself what you set out to do. Hold yourself accountable.

Don’t let this get buried under all the other things you have to do.

6) Give Yourself a Deadline

Give yourself two deadlines. One flexible one and one firm one.

Back to my book example. I would love to read 2 books in a month but honestly, knowing me, it’s probably going to take 2 months for me to read 2 books. 

Things happen.

I could have a headache that day or I’m so exhausted that I can’t even keep my eyes open.

Whatever the reason is, there will be days when I can’t read.

That’s when the two deadlines come in.

The first deadline is the flexible date you want to ideally (but also be realistic) complete your goal. The second deadline (the firm one) is when you have to.

Things You Always Wanted to Do Step #7 – Do It!

The last step is probably the hardest.

All of the steps above are about thinking and crafting your plan.

The final thing to do is to put that plan into action.

I’m going to warn you now.

It is extremely likely there will come a time when you might not want to keep going. If you’re lucky, this feeling will come later on but you have to force yourself to keep going.

(I’m talking about things you’ve tried and decided you like. If you tried an activity and know it’s not for you, there’s no need to keep going. You can tick off the box on your to-do list because you’ve done it already. There’s no imagining what it would be like. You know already.)

Follow the planned schedule as closely as you can. The first few times might be tough because you’re trying to form a new habit. Adding something new to your schedule is not easy. 

For days you REALLY don’t feel like doing anything, try to do at least a little. You’ll feel better about yourself too.

For example, if I’m having a pounding headache and cannot read for the day, it’s okay to skip it.

Remember the list of things you want to accomplish? What else is on your list? If you can’t read for the day, maybe you can order from that new restaurant you’ve been wanting to try.

Do at least one other thing on your list so you won’t be as hard as yourself. 

Just remember to get back on track the next day, providing that you’re healed, of course.

Final Thoughts – Things You Always Wanted To Do

We often tell ourselves that we’ll do something later.

When is later?

Sometimes, we even forget about our bucket list because we keep saying later. Our mind only has so much space before we can’t recall anymore. Or we convince ourselves we have time in the future because it’s not urgent.

There are so many excuses we give ourselves.

Actively pursue what you want to do.

You might even decide you don’t like what you’re doing halfway through it but at least you know you’ve tried. You don’t have to wonder what it’s like because you’ve done it already.

The truth is, the hardest part is following through. You might hit some bumps in the road but if you can conquer those, you’ll feel proud of yourself.

Being in my 20s has taught me that I should go for it. You should too.

Now to You – Things You Always Wanted To Do

Sign up for my FREE yearly planner to accomplish the things you always wanted to do.

Xoxo,
Nicole

  • FACEBOOK
  • LinkedIn
  • TWITTER

Related

Post navigation

The Full Story Behind My Blogging Journey
Best Snack Locations in Boston
  • Explore Tsim Sha Tsui – What to See, Eat, and Experience
  • 24 Hours in Hong Kong – Itinerary Breakdown for a Quick Holiday
  • Throwback First Love Chinese Drama – A Love So Beautiful
  • How Was Eating at Good Day Bad Day Mama Day?
  • Shop Till You Drop – Best Shopping Areas in Hong Kong

Let's Be Friends!
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • PINTEREST
  • INSTAGRAM

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Let's Be Friends!
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • PINTEREST
  • INSTAGRAM
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer Page
  • Explore Tsim Sha Tsui – What to See, Eat, and Experience
  • 24 Hours in Hong Kong – Itinerary Breakdown for a Quick Holiday
  • Throwback First Love Chinese Drama – A Love So Beautiful
  • How Was Eating at Good Day Bad Day Mama Day?
  • Shop Till You Drop – Best Shopping Areas in Hong Kong
Copyright © 2023
Cressida by LyraThemes.com
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT