How To Create An Exciting Family Bucket List for New Year’s Resolution!

Happiness

Are you ready for a year of fun and happiness? Let me guide you on how to create a family bucket list. If you have read most of my previous posts, I often mention how family traditions and quality time can improve bonding with your family. If I ask you to think about one moment when you were so happy, what would it be? I bet it involves family or friends. Studies from Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, who has studied human happiness most of her career, shown that only 10% of our happiness comes from external circumstances such as money, cars, beautiful house, etc., and approximately 50% come from our genetic baseline. Therefore, 40% comes from our actions and thoughts when we have complete control over them. Why do we spend so much time focusing on the 10% when we have a full 40% control of what we can create to be happy? External circumstances will give you happiness, but only for a short period. Happiness is made, not found!

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Traditions

I am a Mom and a Stepmom. We have lived as a blended family of 6 for the past eight years. Over the years, I’ve worked hard to help our family create bonds, and now I finally see the fruit of my efforts. There are many benefits in creating traditions within our families, especially in blended families where it is crucial to develop shared family memories during the blending process. Check out my post for five tips to bond perfectly with your stepchildren.

Today I want to share with you how you can create your family bucket list to make memories that will last for years to come. It is easier to bond and create a healthy family relationship if all members feel happy. We become more flexible, patient, understanding, and the unique difficulties seem less challenging to overcome.

Why a Family Bucket List

Do you wake up Friday morning and wonder where the week went? Our everyday life runs at such a fast paste, and if we don’t plan quality time with our children, family and friends, we will run out of time. Our children are with us, give or take, 18 years before they decide to move and create a family of their own. That means only 18 summers and 18-holiday vacations and that is if they follow us until they are 18 years old, as most teenagers are more interested in having time with their friends than following their parents. So let say we have 15 years, and that number can easily be split in half for blended families as their time is shared between the parents. Do you see why it is essential to stop and plan activities with your family? The Family Bucket List can help you plan activities that will bring joy and laughter to everyone in your family as they all get to choose activities they like and will be more open-minded to try something new.

How to create a family bucket list

So, instead of making a new year’s resolution, we have developed a family bucket list full of activities we will be doing throughout the year. Subscribe to get your own FREE Bucket list package here.

First, we all sat down together with our blank bucket list copy in hand. Secondly, we all wrote down four activities we would love to do as a family in the upcoming year. To have them spread out throughout the year, I asked them to split them into four seasons. The only rule was to find something we could all do as a family, which was affordable.

Once everyone wrote their four activities, we took turns sharing one activity for each season. Some activities ended up being the same, while others were so new that we had no idea the kids shared that interest. I had to research some activities to see if they were doable, and some need to be modified. But overall, we were all excited about these upcoming adventures.

Finally, I took all their lists, made a yearly calendar (that you will also get in your FREE template package), and entered each activity under their respective seasons. That calendar will be on our fridge to remind us of our upcoming adventures.  

Our bucket list consists of rock climbing, downhill skiing, making our family garden, going to the pool, Fall picnic, etc. We cannot wait to share all those unique experiences with you on our social media (Facebook and Instagram) and blog posts. It’s going to be an exciting year.

Final thought

Happiness is rarely determined by external circumstances but rather by experiences, actions and thoughts we can create. Therefore, planning them can bring you and your family great joy instead of waiting for memories to happen. The family bucket list is a great way to plan adventures and help you stay focused to make it happen. At the same time, it gives everyone in your family the chance to share their interests and experience new adventures. Our Family Bucket List provides you with a guideline to create yours. However, feel free to modify it to what works best for you and your family. The end goal is to bond with your family and friends and live a happy life. When we are happy, all the obstacles in life seem less complicated. So, this year instead of a new year’s resolution, I encourage you to make your Family Bucket List. I can’t wait for you to share your adventures with us.

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