I thought it was about time I updated you on my bucket list.  I’ve had some great suggestions (but will always welcome more) and, as always, some ideas are winners, some rejected and some sit in my “maybe” list.

Additions to My Bucket List

8.  Memorize one book of the Bible. (Thanks to Ryan Heathers)

9.  Sing karaoke. (Thanks to Ryan Heathers)

10.  Accept a scary public speaking engagement. (Thanks to Ryan Heathers)

11.  Raft through Class 5 whitewater rapids. (Thanks to Ryan Heathers)

12.  Give away more money that what you’re comfortable with. (Thanks to Ryan Heathers)

13.  Teach your grandchildren how to fly a kite. ( or build a fort, or a trolley, or something ). (Thanks to Andrew Frazer)

14. Bake some scones. (Thanks to Andrew Frazer)

15. Take on projects that you are not capable to do right now, but require you to learn some some skills in order to complete them. (Thanks to Andrew Frazer)

16. Organise a ‘clean up your street’ day. (Thanks to Andrew Frazer)

17.  Do a Parachute jump. (Thanks to Mike Roche)

Suggestions That Made it to My “Maybe” List

From Ryan Heathers

• Visit Israel

From Andrew Frazer

• Visit at least two of [ Rome | Lauterbrunnen | Alaksa | Scott Base | Galapagos ]

I would love to have both of these things on my accepted list but because they are so dependent on money they make it only onto my “Maybe” list.

The Things That I Have Flat-Out “Rejected“

From Ryan Heathers

• Backpack cross-country for one month in a foreign nation (that speaks a foreign languague) and depend on random people to give you housing

I thought this was a good and interesting idea but for some reason it simply doesn’t appeal to me personally.

From Andrew Frazer

• Learn to fly an aeroplane

I’m really not too keen to learn to fly a plane but my son has flown solo so maybe I can claim this as a vicarious experience.

• Become Prime Minister

Why anyone would want to be Prime Minister is beyond me!

• Learn how to weld
• Convert your house to run on solar energy

These ones simply don’t crank my handle.  I’ve never been a person who likes to work with my hands too much.

• Build the biggest christmas light show

If I built the biggest Christmas light show I would really be taking your own dream car from you and I couldn’t do that could I?  For those of you reading this post I’ve included a video of Andrew’s light show for Christmas 2009.

Photo credit: divemasterking2000

Many thanks to Iona Elwood-Smith for her suggestions for my “Bucket List“.

You’ll find the ideas I accepted here, the maybes here and the outright rejected here.

Now for my reasons (as I promised them).

The Ones that Ended up on My “Maybe” List

1.  Sit in an Italian Piazza for a whole day, drinking coffee, eating pastries and just watching people.

2.  Drive a Ferrari.

3.  Bunjy jump in Queenstown.

These three didn’t make my definite list simply because of the money factor to them.  If I get a real chance, I’ll try and give them a go.

4.  Eat nothing but dessert for a week.

I need time to consider this one a bit more.  Watch for despatches!

The Ones That Ended Up being Rejected!

1.  Learn to sail

2.  Swim with dolphins

Quite simply I want this to be a list of things I would enjoy doing, even if I find them challenging.  I don’t enjoy being in or around water so these ideas, as good as they are, miss out.

… and how to get there, and most importantly, what to do when I get there!

If any of you saw the movie “The Bucket List ” starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman you’ll know pretty quickly where this post is heading.  And before anybody asks, no I’m not dying (other than in the context that everyone is dying or going to die eventually).

I saw the movie quite some time ago but was actually even more inspired by a blog I read called 250 while I’m 25.  In it Jo Walters, at the ripe old age of 25, explains why she’s put a list together and how she was helped by friends, colleagues and readers.

So I’ve decided that this is a worthwhile venture in my own life.  After all, use of eProductivity to implement GTD (Getting Things Done) has highlighted to me the need for a balanced life!  I’m not sure where a journey like this will take me so I’m really going into it as a step of faith.

This blog post is my invitation to you to participate in my journey by making suggestions about what I should have on my very own “Bucket List“.

There’s three ways that you can make a suggestion:

1. Leave a comment either on this post or on any of the pages that relate to my bucket list challenge.  (My Bucket List | The Challenge | The Rules | Rejected | Maybe
2. Send me an e-mail at Paul(AT)nzgardner(DOT)com
3. Twitter me your suggestion – @PGardnerNZ

Thanks very much for helping me start this adventure.  I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I’m sure I will.