A retirement bucket list is a lovely way to gather up everything you’ve been promising yourself — the places, the people, the skills, the small everyday pleasures — and start turning ‘someday’ into a plan. Here’s how to write one that’s truly your own, with dreams big and small.
Here’s one of the real gifts of retirement: the time, at last, to do the things you’ve been promising yourself for years. The trip you always meant to take, the language you fancied learning, the friend interstate you keep meaning to visit. A retirement bucket list is simply the place you gather all of it in one spot — and the moment you write it down, those someday-wishes start to feel a great deal more possible.
A good list doesn’t have to be a hundred grand adventures, and it certainly needn’t look like anyone else’s. The best ones mix one or two big, exciting dreams with a dozen small, easily-managed ones. Here’s how to build one that fits the life you actually want to live.
- Start with the places you’ve always dreamed of. Those spots that have lived in your imagination for years — write down three, and be specific. Not just ‘Europe’, but the canals of Venice, your grandmother’s village, the stretch of the Great Ocean Road you’ve only ever driven half of. Naming them is the first happy step towards going.
- The adventures you’ve always fancied. The hot-air balloon, the cooking course in Tuscany, the road trip with no fixed route, even the tattoo you’ve quietly always wanted. For years there was a sensible reason to wait — the job, the mortgage, the school run. Those reasons have happily retired along with you, so let yourself be a little bold.
- People, not just places. Put names on your list, not only destinations. The cousin overseas, the old friend interstate, the reunion you keep meaning to organise. Time with the people you love is the richest thing on any list, and it ages far better than any photograph of a landmark.
- The skill you’ve always wanted to learn. An instrument, a language, watercolours, proper sourdough, enough Italian to order dinner before the trip. You finally have the one thing every lesson needs — time — and there’s a lovely bonus: learning something new keeps the mind bright and the years genuinely interesting.
- Something that gives back. The most satisfying lists usually have a little giving in them. Add a goal that points outward — mentoring, volunteering, a cause you’ll give real hours to rather than just a donation. Purpose belongs on a bucket list too, and few things feel better than being useful to someone who needs you.
- The small, the local, the soon. Not everything needs a passport and a year’s saving. The winery an hour away, the coastal walk you’ve never done, the gallery in the city you always mean to visit. These are the ones you’ll tick off quickest — and every tick is a little burst of momentum that carries you on to the next.
- Balance the big with the gentle. One grand, exciting goal is wonderful for the spirit. So is a long list of quiet ones — the perfect coffee in a new town, a whole afternoon with a good book, learning to make your mother’s recipe. A list with both is one you’ll enjoy all year round, not just on the big occasions.
- Put a ‘by when’ beside each. A date is what turns a lovely idea into a plan. You don’t need anything rigid — pencilling in a rough season, like ‘autumn next year’ or ‘before I turn seventy’, is enough to nudge a wish gently along towards actually happening.
- Make it a pair of lists, if there are two of you. Couples who each write their own and then swap are often delighted by what they find — some dreams overlap beautifully, others are gloriously individual. Both are perfect. A weekend apart, each chasing a different interest, can do a marriage as much good as a holiday taken together.
- Treat it as a living thing. Pin it to the fridge where you’ll see it, and let it grow with you. Tick things off, add new ones, swap a dream for a better one whenever the mood takes you. Your list will change as you do, and that’s exactly the point — it’s a happy companion for the years ahead, not a test to pass.
Here’s the loveliest part: a bucket list does its best work the very moment you start writing it. Putting your hopes down on paper changes how the years ahead feel — brighter, fuller, more like an adventure waiting to unfold. So pour a cup of tea, find a fresh sheet of paper, and give yourself ten happy minutes to dream. Jot down one big hope and three small ones to begin with, pop the nearest one in the diary, and let the list grow from there. The best years are the ones you plan to enjoy on
About the Author
Mary Benton is a seasoned retirement advisor with a wealth of experience and qualifications to guide you towards financial security and peace of mind.
Mary Benton brings decades of experience in retirement planning and financial management to the table. As a qualified financial planner and retirement specialist, Mary has helped countless individuals and couples navigate the complexities of retirement planning with confidence and clarity.
