You May Have a Bucket List - But Do You Have a Curiosity List?
Do you know how it is when you find you have a few hours or a day that you can do anything you like? And then you struggle to think of things to do?
You know there were restaurants you wanted to try or tours you wanted to take, or a cute little town you wanted to explore, but you just can’t recall them right now.
How frustrating is that?
I’ve squandered free time, only to think of what I wanted to do the next day.
Now imagine that you may have a lot of time to fill once you become an empty nester, things slow down with your career, or you retire. You may have many opportunities to try things out and many hours to fill.
You are likely going to need to establish a better system so you make the most of your days, weeks, months and years ahead.
This is the time we typically go to our Bucket List, if we have one. It’s the place many of us put things we’d love to do before we “Kick the Bucket.”. We may have no idea how we will manage to do them, but it’s a safe parking lot for them.
Maybe a trip to Australia, writing a book or skydiving. It’s exciting to plan to make those things happen. The reality is you may not have enough things to take you years to do.
And, maybe the things I’d like to do aren’t “Bucket List-worthy.”
You know, it’s not a trip of a lifetime or something that takes a lot of courage or that doesn’t come along every day. Maybe it’s what I’d like to fill my new-found time with once I scale back my work or retire.
It’s called a Curiosity List.
The things we want to explore further to see if it is something worthy of spending our time on.
It should be really easy to fill this list, as there is no commitment and you don’t really need to know much about it. And it doesn’t have to be something you do in the near term, it may be years down the line.
Now that sounds like a fun activity to me!
As a Retirement Coach, I encourage my clients to do a lot of work on their Curiosity List, as a few of the items may end up as a favorite activity you engage in during retirement or one of your biggest items on your Bucket List. It may also be a way to justify the many minutes (hours?) you spend scrolling through Facebook, reading magazines or binging a series on Netflix.
As you look at what others are doing, you may get “curious” enough to check into it further and see if it’s something you may want to engage in. And, just the act of researching the items on your Curiosity List may be time well spent.
So, let’s go get curious …
You may want to check out the schedule at your local Recreation Department. Maybe it’s the really popular things you may find interest in – Pickleball, swimming, or golf. What about learning a new language, getting more comfortable with technology, or learning to play an instrument?
You don’t have to commit to them now, just add to the list.
Check out the many volunteer opportunities available in your community or online. There may be a website that lists all volunteer opportunities. Or check out what is available through organizations you may be involved in – such as your church, municipality, schools or local theaters. Many of these organizations rely on volunteers to keep them running. If any of them pique your interest, add them to the list to learn more about.
Or, think back to the things you loved to do as a kid, and see if you can revive any of them, or if there is an “adult” version. What are the things you did that made time fly by? These could be artistic things, sports, reading or writing or exploring.
I remember doing paint by number as a kid. I loved them!
As I reflected back, I know what I liked was that I didn’t need to be too artistic and could produce a painting in the end. I recently learned about Picasso, an “adult” paint by number company. I ordered a neat succulent painting and have been working on it since. It’s very relaxing and it may be frame-worthy when I’m done. And, if not, it provided many hours of enjoyment.
I may add a sketching class to my Curiosity List to see if I can stretch my skills a bit.
If you liked Tinkertoys when you were younger, you may enjoy Legos. I love helping my great nephews put their sets together. I received a set as a gift for my birthday – it was so fun to put it together and now I have it displayed – it’s a succulent garden.
When I get my painting done, I may frame it and hang it near the Lego Garden.
Spending time reflecting on those activities you enjoyed when you were younger may result in some interesting items on your Curiosity List.
Or, what about the things you gave up when you started your career or a family? When you really thought you could do it all, but at some point realized that wasn’t so. Can you revive any of those things?
Were there sports or clubs or volunteer work? If you’ve “aged out” of those opportunities, is there another version you can do at this stage of your life?
This Curiosity List should be a living list, that you add to continually. The great thing is you don’t have to commit to anything at this point, you can just add to the list and explore more about them later.
We are also so fortunate with the many ways to learn more about the things on our curious list today.
“Back in the day” it was a bit more difficult to investigate new things. We could look things up in the encyclopedia, go to the library or ask others about it. Maybe make a few phone calls to ask a few questions.
But, today…
We have so many options without leaving the couch. Just a quick google search can help us learn so much. We can watch a YouTube video or join a Facebook Group. We can purchase an inexpensive course on Udemy or check out options on Pinterest.
And the cool thing is if you find an interest that you’re really jazzed about, there are so many potential options to engage in. You may be able to find a related association to join. Or a Facebook group. Or you could start a group. Or perhaps there are vacation opportunities around it.
What's also great about your curiosity list is that there is no pressure. After you check into what interests you and realize you're really not, you just simply cross it off your list.
If you are fortunate, you will have many years to be curious.
Keep the list going so you’re able to fill your time with things you enjoy, that keep you sharp and active.
Interested in more? Be sure to read Lori's other articles:
About the Author;
Lori Becker is living her passion as an Author and Certified Retirement and Financial Coach with Becker Encore Coaching – working with individuals as they make the transition from their career’s work to creating their best life through Retirement Lifestyle Planning. If you would like to learn more about Lori’s work or have her speak to your organization, you can reach her through her website.
