This article is featured on behalf of Stacey White.
Nearly every single person out there has a bucket list. Essentially, this is a list of things that they want to complete before they die.
For some, the bucket list covers visiting certain countries. For others, it’s trying certain foods or learning certain skills. A big part of life is setting yourself goals and working to achieve them. We each need a purpose in life, and deciding on those goals is a part of that purpose.
There are several milestones in life that need to be reached for us to feel like we’ve achieved happiness, but those milestones won’t be exactly the same for each individual. There are some common ‘boxes’ everyone wants to tick off in life, and the common ones are those we all strive for: love, friendship, and security. Some of the milestones that we will encounter aren’t always positive, but they are necessary for our development.
So, let’s take a look at a few common milestones people strive for:
Falling In Love. It’s the closest thing we have to magic, but it doesn’t always happen for everyone. We strive for it, we look for it and yet, it is not up to us whether we find it. We all hope to fall in love one day and once you have that, there’s a box ticked off.
Buying A House. We’ve all pictured it. Sunday morning spent trawling the local real estate listings and setting up appointments for viewing property. There’s nothing more satisfying to know that you are becoming a homeowner and so most people have the idea that buying a house would leave a legacy for their future children. It makes sense, and that’s why it’s a lifetime milestone. (This milestone might not be for everyone.)
Dream Career. Going through high school and college, most people set themselves up for a qualification in the career path that they wish to follow. It’s hard in the current economy to get a job and keep it, so to achieve a dream career is a huge deal!
Children. The one piece of immortality you can ever hope to achieve is having a family. Your children are going to be your living legacy on earth and becoming a parent changes you as a person. You get a chance to see the world from a perspective other than your own and you become accountable for someone other than yourself. It’s a big responsibility. (This one might not be for everyone.)
Getting Heartbroken. We mentioned that some of the lifetime milestones that we all have include negative ones, and heartbreak is one of those milestones. You learn so much about who you are and what you want from life by getting your heart broken. It’s not a nice experience, but it’s one you learn from and grow from, whether you want to or not.
Finding your own bucket list of milestones isn’t always going to be easy, but it is going to prepare you for how to manage in life. Each milestone that you achieve is going to make a huge difference in every area of your existence, so make your list a good one.