The Pre-Planning Stage (Part 1): Creating the Bucket Book (photos included)

Bucket lists are simple: one page, list your goals, hang them on the wall or post them on a goal setting site.

However, there are times when a bucket list is not enough. Sometimes, we wish to get down to the fine details and outlined plans of achieving our goals with vigor. At this point, you can create a Bucket Book.

In plain terms, a Bucket Book is an enhanced Bucket List. Bucket Books (which I will abbreviate as BB) usually come in the form of a binder or a folder with prongs and it houses all of your ambitions along with the processes of how to achieve them. Here are the following reasons why the BB should be in a binder:

• You can put information related to your goals in the binder. For example, one of your dreams may be to be a ballerina. You can conveniently place that flyer that you saw for ballet lessons conveniently inside of your binder. Doing this keeps all dream related materials in one location.

• Your BB can be constantly growing and changing. You may have a section with goals for the month of June and all of its details. By July, you will not need the June section anymore. You can recycle goals into a different month, but you should get rid of a section that is either outdated or no longer serves a purpose for you. This helps to keep your binder clutter free, in constant use and fresh.

• And lastly, you can be artistic and decorate your BB. Not to say that you could not do this with a regular bucket list, but you can have the opportunity to change the decorations of your BB if the binder comes with a place to slide paper into on the front. You can decorate a piece of paper and use it as your cover. Or, you can make find photos related to your goals, such as a mini vision board or an inspirational quote. Whatever it is that you place as your cover (if you would like a cover) make sure that is is something that motivates, invigorates and inspires you to chase after your dreams.

The Bucket Book can be adapted to your sense of style and organization.. Though I have offered my own suggestions to you, if you feel that these do not fit you that is alright. Your Bucket Book is a reflection of you and the pursuit of your dreams and you can design it in whatever way you wish. Good luck in your ambitions!

Now, I am going to show you photos from my Bucket Book so that you may see my personal design.

The cover of my Bucket Book. It is the cover of a book I have written and illustrated. I put it there to keep me motivated and to remind me not to forget about this book project (it is still in manuscript form)

This is the back cover of the Bucket Book. The image is from a children's book that I authored and illustrated in 2012. I wrote words around the image to inspire me every time I view it. Lately, strangers have been noticing my BB, so I hope this image inspires them as well.

This is another part of the BB, it is affirmations (or at least one of the affirmations). The theme of these affirmations focus on youthfulness and life. You can place your own affirmations to repeat daily in your BB. I actually find these affirmations in particular slightly annoying, but I say them anyway :)

This is another part of the BB, it is affirmations (or at least one of the affirmations). The theme of these affirmations focus on youthfulness and life. You can place your own affirmations to repeat daily in your BB.