Bucket List Therapy
The ever-present consumerist mindset slowly poisons our minds, leading us toward apathy and a loss of meaning.
I believe that expression is an antidote to depression.
When you set a creative goal for yourself, you’re making a quiet promise. You promise to dedicate some time and energy solely to yourself. You promise to follow a journey of self-discovery: maybe you’ll enjoy yourself and turn your goal into a long-term hobby, or maybe you’ll learn that something just isn’t for you. You never know until you try.
“Grow or die. Consume or be unhappy.” This seems to be the motto of our century. These days, it’s easier than ever to fall victim to the pervasive culture of achievement and toxic perfectionism. We’re constantly reminded that our worth comes from how productive we are - that we’re only “good enough” when we reach goals set by others or consume enough, whether that’s media, branded products, or whatever it may be for you.
If you believe you can’t be happy without achieving or consuming, you may never feel truly happy again. No product and no success can bring lasting happiness. It’s an endless chase. If you’re constantly trying to prove your worth, you’re not living - you’re surviving.
We don’t need more successful people. We don’t need more millionaires or yet another meaningless product that claims it could change our lives. We need more humanity; we need a sense of purpose. And I assure you, there’s no better place to start than by focusing on what makes you genuinely happy and what expands your horizons in a way that feels natural and comfortable.
I knew I needed to break free from the toxic, success-oriented mindset. I still wanted to achieve things - just a different kind of things. And if you’ve ever tried shifting your mindset from proving your worth to others to loving yourself unconditionally and doing things simply for the joy of doing them, you know how difficult that can be.
That’s when I came up with the idea of a bucket list. It was basically a promise to myself. And would you break a promise? Well, you shouldn’t - even if it’s a promise between you and you.
At first, I felt like I had to rush through the list and finish it as quickly as possible. But then I realized it was giving me more than I expected.
Not only did it keep me going on tough days, but as the years passed, I found myself alive and content. I’d been regularly working on some of the more demanding goals (like training for a half-marathon), and over time, I even forgot there was a specific goal behind it. Pursuing these small, meaningful goals helped me become more authentic and absolutely broadened my horizons.
In this sense, bucket list therapy is an act of rebellion. You’re not mindlessly consuming or giving in to the pressure of capitalism. When you search for possible bucket list goals, you’re giving yourself the space to reconnect with who you are and what you really want from life. And the longer you work on those goals, the more your comfort zone expands, and the more your future self will thank you for doing something purely for your own inner peace and happiness. Because, after all, this kind of bucket list should be about creating, learning, and feeling - at your own pace.
These days, I’m okay with having multiple projects in progress; I no longer feel the need to be perfect at any of them. And I keep adding new goals to my list from time to time.
We’re all unique, with different needs, but I hope this bucket list idea inspires you the way it inspired me. Life is a journey, loving yourself is a journey, and if you need a tool to help you with it, a bucket list might be worth trying.
Take care, and good luck with your own bucket list, whatever your motivations may be!