January WELLNESS Bucket List
…without a plan or some intentional thought, our fresh starts and ideas may lose their luster. Well, that’s where I step in…
2024 has arrived… an opportunity to begin anew!
A new year sometimes means a fresh start. A fresh start sometimes signifies beginning something new. However, without a plan or some intentional thought, our fresh starts and ideas may lose their luster. Well, that’s where I step in and hope to help by offering a few (thirty, to be exact!) different ideas for you to add to your bucket list.
What’s a bucket list? Ha! Fair question. It may be a concept or a phrase that’s new for you. Plainly stated, a bucket list is a group of items, ideas, or experiences that are personally and individually compiled with the goal of being completed or accomplished within a certain timeframe (for example, a month or possibly even a lifetime).
A bucket list is not a necessary task, but it can be a motivating and inspiring tool that feeds your creativity and drives your ambition. The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to set goals, whether personal or professional OR relational or individual. The list can be added to at your leisure, or you can make a commitment to add items with a deadline in mind. Whatever the case, have fun with it. Creating a bucket list is not meant to be a chore, but a way to establish a working guide for yourself.
Now that we’ve got a better understanding of the goal of a bucket list, review the list below for several ideas that may get you started. These ideas are in no particular order, just consider adding them one-by-one into your schedule, your routine, your bucket list! No pressure to add them all, just pick out those that catch your interest. I’d love to hear feedback on how they work for you.
Try preparing one new recipe each week
Read a new book (try a pick from the New York Times Best Sellers List)
Visit a museum
Start a blog, vlog, or podcast sharing your thoughts and opinions (The Body Quarry Blog — The Body Quarry)
Take a cooking class (invite a friend)
Run or walk a 5k
Have fun with your exercise routine (try something new and/or invite a friend)
Make (or purchase) a journal to document your thoughts and gratitude
Bake a cake or cookies from scratch
Begin daily walking routine (start with 20 minutes)
Clean out your closet and donate your items
Treat yourself to a manicure and/or pedicure
Take a surfing lesson (I’d better learn to swim before I do this one!)
Organize/volunteer at a community charitable event
Focus on getting more sleep
Take up a fun and creative new hobby (crocheting, scrapbooking, gardening, woodworking, etc)
Pick a day to stay cozy at home in your pajamas ALL day (I try to do this once every couple of months)
Remove negative things or people or thoughts from your life
Try a new type of workout or hire a personal trainer (The Body Quarry's Customized Service Packages — The Body Quarry)
Find a job you love
Find something you love about your current job
Start a garden (one plant at a time)
Learn a new language (at least a few helpful phrases)
Adopt a pet from a local shelter
Take a self-defense course
Donate blood at your local donation center (you might help save a life)
Make a plan to decrease your debt
Go for a ride in a hot air balloon
Run a marathon (or at least begin training)
Incorporate a new vegetable into your meal plan
These are a few items to help start your bucket list or add to your existing one! Remember, don’t treat this activity as a chore… instead, it should be a fun and creative way to help us think “outside of the box” and expand/enhance your life’s experiences. Try to be as detailed as possible with your selections, that way they can easily become more real once planning actually begins. I’d love to hear your thoughts and any additional ideas you may be adding to your bucket list!
Make a Difference with Kindness
A random act of kindness is an unexpected, good deed done for another person. There are times when these small acts of kindness are planned or intentional, but other times they may truly just take place when the need or desire presents itself.
“Never get tired of doing little things for others. Sometimes, those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts.”
February is a month jam-packed with many special reasons to celebrate and educate ourselves. One of my favorite occasions is Random Acts of Kindness Week, which takes place during the week of February 13-19, 2022. According to www.randomactsofkindness.org, “The work to create a kinder world never ends”.
A random act of kindness is an unexpected, good deed done for another person. There are times when these small acts of kindness are planned or intentional, but other times they may truly just take place when the need or desire presents itself. Either way, these actions have the potential to really make someone’s day, whether the recipient of the kind act or the initiator.
My goal here is to share ways that you can incorporate kindness into the special occasions of this month and on any given day, for that matter.
Black History Month is an annual celebration in February of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. But it also provides the opportunity to be reminded of how much progress is yet to be made in our country, and the opportunity to learn how we can contribute to progress.
Act of Kindness: Educate yourself - That could take place reading books, visiting historical museums, watching movies and documentaries, or asking appropriate and thoughtful questions directly to others. Be open-minded and prepare to listen and learn.
American Heart Month is dedicated time when focus is placed on heart disease, the number one killer of Americans. According to www.heart.org, “during American Heart Month, the AHA and other organizations reinforce the importance of heart health, the need for more research and efforts to ensure that millions of people live longer and healthier”.
Act of Kindness: Learn CPR - CPR stands for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, a lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating. Immediate CPR can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest. Visit cpr.heart.org for more information on the different types of CPR, proper training, and how you can help. You can’t get more kind than potentially helping to save someone’s life!
Valentine’s Day is celebrated annually on February 14 and is probably a holiday we are all pretty familiar with. Traditionally, known as a holiday to celebrate love, whether romantically or platonically. Loved ones and friends around the world exchange candy, upscale dinner dates, gifts, flowers, and other expressions of affection.
Act of Kindness: Remember those who may not have a “Valentine” - This could include by choice or by circumstance… friends, family, widows, divorcees, etc. Meet up for lunch, give a phone call, or even send a note.
With those specials occasions in the month of February being covered, now I’d like to share a few (30!) FREE or inexpensive ideas on how you can intentionally share kindness during Random Acts of Kindness Week and beyond!
Pray for someone
Tell someone you love them
Compliment someone
Send a handwritten thank you note
Donate clothing
Buy the order for the car behind you in the drive-through
Bake a dessert for your neighbor
Offer to go for a walk with a friend
Donate books to the library
Plant a tree
Mow your neighbor’s lawn
Give someone a gift card you don’t plan on using
Write a handwritten letter to an old friend
Offer an appropriate compliment to a stranger
Donate to a food bank
Safely pick up litter in your neighborhood
Offer water to the mailman
Take treats to the fire station
Hold the door open for someone
Send a postcard to a family member in another state
Write a note for your child’s lunchbox
Teach someone something new
Help your kids organize and donate old toys
Create a care package for a homeless person
Shovel snow from a neighbor’s driveway
Donate blood
Say “thank you, have a nice day” to someone who holds the door for you
Walk someone’s dog
Check on a friend
Smile with your eyes, behind your mask
These are just a few of the ways you can intentionally show kindness to someone you know or even strangers. And remember the well-known quote by Aesop, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted”.
Creating a Positive and Productive Morning Routine
The power of a positive and productive morning has the ability to set the tone for your entire day.
The power of a positive and productive morning has the ability to set the tone for your entire day.
When we get our morning off to the right start, we are poised for our own personal success, whatever that success may look like for each of us. Creating a proper morning routine is a great way to jumpstart us into thinking more intentionally about today and tomorrow. I know what you may be thinking… “I’m just not a morning person, I don’t really catch my stride until around 11:00am”! Ha! Believe me, I get that.
For the majority of my adult life, I have considered myself a night owl. After having kids, I found it easier to stay up late after they had been tightly tucked in. That was when I felt that I could best wind-down and take some time for myself. However, consistently staying up until midnight or 1:00am can lead to sluggish mornings. Then, those mornings turn into an afternoon slump, and an evening in which you can barely keep your eyes open. Finally, the late night process begins all over again… it’s a vicious cycle (I speak from experience)! I was never really able to catch up and get on track. I’m much better now, but not perfect. Occasionally, I still enjoy my late nights, but I truly understand the benefits of getting rest and waking up a bit earlier. Those same tasks and “me-time” that I craved late at night can be accomplished during the early morning, before the rest of the house wakes up.
With that being said, I thought I would share a few tips with you to help you with tomorrow morning’s wake-up routine. Admittedly, it is not an easy transition if it is new for you, but it will be well worth it. You will almost feel as though you’ve gained additional energy and hours into your day. These tips are in no particular order, just consider adding them one-by-one into your morning routine. I’d love to hear feedback on how they work for you.
Set an alarm to wake up before everyone else
Read something inspirational, such as a devotional or a personal development book
Pray, meditate, or practice a breathing activity
Turn on some music and dance
Sit quietly with no distractions
Make your bed
Complete a workout
Take an invigorating shower
Drink a glass of water
Open your curtains or blinds to let the light in
Recite a morning affirmation
Prep your outfit the night before
Write in your journal
Enjoy a cup of hot tea or coffee
Wake up your body with morning stretches
Review your to-do list for the day
Eat a substantial breakfast
Set your intentions
Give thanks for another day
Get quality sleep the night before
These are just a few of the ways you can get yourself started on your new morning routine. Again, it will be important to begin the process with a good, restful night’s sleep. That sleep will encourage and assist you with waking up refreshed and ready to take on whatever the day may bring. As with any new idea, plan, or task, the key is simply to START! Remember, if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. And, don’t forget, I’d love to hear feedback on how these tips work for you and any other current morning activities you have that help set you up for a great day!