Ambition. It’s one of the things which I’ve been accused of having too much of in the past – I want to do things, go to places and have experiences which are out of the ordinary. Yes, beach holidays can be nice, but given the choice I’d rather do the Inca trail than Ibiza, the Galapagos instead of Gran Canaria and The Andaman Islands rather than a random generic hotel with a pool, nightly entertainment on site and planned day excursions.
Back at the end of 2015 I therefore reacted in surprise when a friend insisted that it was almost impossible for most people to come up with a list of 50 things that they want to achieve in their lives. 50 things?! The real challenge was whittling the list down!
I’ve already lived an incredible life and managed to achieve a lot of things that many others would either have on their own lists or which they would not even dream of. I’ve travelled around the entire globe, visiting places from the Pyramids to Venice to the Taj Mahal, to the Sydney Opera House to Rio to the Empire State Building and more. I’ve dined with Royalty, seen the sun rise over Mount Sinai, talked my way out of being arrested on three continents and crashed celebrity after-show parties.
I’ve been on TV, attended sporting events on every continent, learned how to SCUBA, fronted a band, been quoted in radio interviews with government ministers and won national recognition in my field of work. I’ve donated blood, got tattoos, ridden a unicycle, had kids, won poker tournaments, windsurfed, bought art and headed up a national sporting organisation.
In short, I’ve had a good life so far. But I want more.
And above all, I want someone to do it all with. I want to find someone who will either help me do the things on my list or – even better – will do them with me. Someone who is looking for adventure, and who will be as happy learning to dance with me as reading a draft of a novel, or who wants to travel to Monaco to be there during the Grand Prix.
Anyway, here’s my list in no particular order. I’ve already ticked a few off, but if you happen to be (or know) my perfect match and want to plan doing a few more, well, get in touch. Next year could be a great year.
- Get my name included on the credits of a film released in cinemas
- learn to play the piano to a decent standard
- learn conversational french
- skydive
- bungee jump
- build my own house
- go on a tour for a test match
- go to the football World Cup
- follow the F1 to all of the continents
- build a tree house
- be a keynote speaker at a conference
- get a motorbike licence
- write a book (even a short one)
- learn how to waltz
- learn how to swordfight
- learn how to do a backflip
- run a marathon
- operate a crane
- be legitimately referenced in an article on Wikipedia
- see the northern lights
- visit the poles
- learn to surf
- crowdsurf
- live abroad
- stay at the Tatooine hotel in Tunisia
- walk the inca trail
- fly a plane
- learn how to skateboard
- experience zero gravity
- go white water rafting
- climb Everest – sort of done but was helicoptered off the mountain 1000m shy of Base Camp in order to look after my altitude-sick brother
- be part of a crew that sails a major sea/ocean
- win an award
- see an opera – Completed in July 2016
- learn how to ski/snowboard
- learn the guitar
- win money gambling in Las Vegas
- solve a Rubiks Cube
- visit a volcano
- see Tottenham play in a cup final at Wembley – Completed on 1 March 2015
- learn how to pick a lock
- break 150 at the bowling alley
- score a break of 50 or more in snooker
- learn sign language
- grow and maintain a full herb garden – Completed 2018
- buy something at an auction
- attend a rocket launch
- go to a big boxing match – Completed February 2019
- start a proper business
- Get my golf handicap down to a legitimate 25
So. What have I missed? what else should I add to my list?
A Dating Dad 
That was a great list, totally doable! I for one, love #15 and will have to add that to my bucket list!
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Cheers! Randomly I found one friend that did fencing at school and another who is stage trained to sword fight, and both have offered to teach me so I might tick that off next year!
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Why wait till next year? You still have a good month and a half before you say adios to 2017.
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Fair point, well made! Perhaps I should give them a shout?!
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It would make a kick ass blog post regardless! THEN you can replace #15 with ….. take part in an reenactment where I can show off my sword fighting skills.
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Assuming I survive the training, I’ll definitely write about it! That is, of course, unless the coming zombie apocalypse means I’m too busy putting my new skills into action…
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Loving this Glen! I’m the same as you re: travel destinations, but wow – you really have achieved tonnes haven’t you?! I have ticked off some of your list like skiing, white water rafting and a skydive and some of them don’t appeal to me (F1/climbing Everest!) but others I love (#41 – what’s that all about?! On the other hand, yeah I’m in 😀 )
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Ha! I’ve certainly done a fair bit (plenty not listed on here too, such as attending garden parties at Buckingham Palace, scuba dived with sharks, built websites, cycled the Alps, been on a Saharan desert safari, won a poker tournament, headed up a national sporting organisation and learned archery; it’s a long list) but it’s never enough!
I always say that when it comes to experiencing things I will always be happy but never satisfied. I want to live the sort of life that I can look back on and say I really lived, however long I live for.
As for lock picking, well, it just feels like the sort of skill that might come in handy one day!
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Oh wow!! I already felt like I hadn’t lived, but now I feel even worse haha!
Although I’d love to have all of those things on my bucket list, I feel that financially it would be impossible. My list is includes travelling to some extent, city breaks etc, but I couldn’t leave the country for more than a weekend because of my kids.
I was actually seeing a guy who had lived a life like that, he’d travelled, was an adrenaline junkie, he had been in films, and was pretty well known in the country he came from (even can be found on Wikipedia) and due to my life being so entirely different, I felt inferior. It’s put me off dating someone so interesting to be honest! I felt like anything I had to say was boring! Although I doubt I’ll meet a guy like him again anyway, was a very random experience! Haha
Enjoy conquering that list! Very jealous!
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Don’t feel bad – I bet you’ve achieved loads if you ever really think about it! As for this list, it’s a long one that I’m not looking at completing any time soon so I’ve got plenty of time to save up for them or wait until the kids are all grown up and moved out. I couldn’t go on a cricket tour, for example, until they’re all fending for themselves, but there’s also no problem waiting for that one.
And never think you aren’t interesting; if your blog is anything to go by, you’ve got a wonderful mind which is more interesting than any list of experiences can ever be!
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