We’re only one quarter into 2018, and I already feel like I’ve adventured enough for half the year. No complaints, though! Enough is not a word in an adventurer’s vocabulary. There’s no such thing as enough, only what’s next?

But, as much as I’m always itching for the next, I also enjoy reflecting. Not just to relive the memories, but also to keep me grateful. Never do I ever want to gloss over the value of an experience while in fast pursuit of the next one. For me, bucket listing is about the joy of truly living life!

My bucket list isn’t a dusty collection of someday maybe dreams. It’s a living, breathing list of goals that I make plans to accomplish—not because I’m lucky or wealthy, but because I’m driven and passionate and brave enough to take action.

So these are my 2018 bucket list accomplishments thus far—all the new-to-me cities, new-to-me states, and a few new experiences.

• January 9: First time at a shooting range
• January 16-20: First time in San Francisco
• January 18: Crossed the Golden Gate (without pants!)
• January 31 – February 3: First time in Washington state
• March 6-12: First visit to Hawaii (Oahu)
• March 13-18: First time in Charleston AND South Carolina
• March 13-18: Attended all the Charleston Fashion Week shows (as a volunteer, but still!)

Not a bad way to spend the first three months of 2018… also the last three months of year 34, which was a life-changing year for me. But then, shouldn’t every year be??

Ok. Now let’s focus on you.

Look at your own bucket list.

What was the last thing you accomplished?

What’s the next thing you’re working toward?

Are you actually doing… or just dreaming?

It’s easy to fall into the bucket list paradox. I’ve been there. You create this lovely list of dreams, meant to bring happiness. And then you keep on dreaming. Only dreaming. Problem is, if you stay in dream mode, that happy, hope-filled list becomes an instrument of torture—a constant reminder of what you aren’t doing. Promise me you won’t let that happen!

Promise me you’ll stop dreaming and DO.