E82: Creating an Epic Summer Bucket List

As crazy as the year has been, I still can’t believe that it’s already the first week of June! Time is flying! The month of June marks the middle of the year, but it’s also the start of summer...

[1:15] Every June I get super excited about a tradition I’ve had since I was a little kid! For as long as I can remember, I’ve been creating some pretty epic summer bucket lists, and today I’m going to teach you how to create your very own!

Now, if you’re listening to this episode and you’re not sure what a summer bucket list is, it’s essentially a list of all the things you want to do, experience, eat, or places you want to visit this summer. Your list can be as long or as short as you’d like it to be.

A great summer bucket list has a variety of activities, and goals, and most importantly it gets you EXCITED about having an EPIC SUMMER!

[1:59] There aren’t really any “rules” when it comes to creating this list, but I thought I’d share some of the do’s and don’ts I like to consider when writing mine…

DO Get Creative!

Of course you’ll want to experience some classic summer traditions every year, but have fun and get creative writing your list!

Our family loves making s’mores every summer so one year I wrote: “S’mores Innovations” on my bucket list. That summer we made s’mores using different kinds of chocolate, or different cookies instead of gram crackers. We also tried s’mores with slices of fruit. It was really fun, and we still stuck to our favourite traditions.

When writing your list you can always go back and think of a new way to do something, or how you can mix up a fave tradition!

DON’T Just Copy Someone Else’s List!

There are lots of fun summer bucket lists online, and they’re great for getting some inspiration on what you’d love to do, but don’t just copy their list. Choose the ideas that you like and add your own ideas too!

Not everyone’s list is going to look the same. I live very close to the waterfall capital of the world, and this summer I want to go “Waterfall Exploring” to see some of the falls I haven’t been to yet. But you might not live near here. Maybe you live close to mountains, or volcanoes you can climb. Or maybe you live near beautiful forests or a secret beach.

Make the list your own; a list that gets YOU excited!

[3:46] When you sit down to write your summer bucket list, a good place to start is by thinking about all the fun things you did last summer, or any previous summer.

What did you do?

Who were you with?

What did you see?

How did you play?

What were your favourite memories?

After spending some time reminiscing on all your favourite parts of summer’s before, jot down anything you’d like to do again this summer, or maybe a memory inspired something you’d like to do this year.

Last summer I went back-country camping with some friends in Tobermory, Ontario. I’d like to go again this year, but stay a night longer and go with my partner.

My boyfriend also loves skydiving, but I’ve never been. Last year I saw him jump out of a plane and this year I’d like to try it too! EEK!

[4:47] If you’re like me, you’ll want to organize your list. This helps me plan for different goals, or different types of summer fun. My Summer Bucket List this year has 8 sections, they are:

Health & Wellness
For a Rainy Day
Self Care
With Friends
Classic Summer Fun
Outdoors
Food & Drink
And Something New!

[5:12] Some of the items on the list could fall under multiple categories but I like to organize my thoughts as best I can. Think of some of your own Bucket List Categories. Here are more ideas:

Education/Learning: I wanted to learn a new language one summer so I added some different ways to learn and practice. Maybe you’re taking a course this summer, or you’re learning a new skill. One of the listeners, Maria, wrote “Learn to Paint” on her bucket list this summer!

Thrill Seeking/Adventure: Do you love extreme sports or adrenaline boosting activities? You might need a category for all your adventurous items, such as: skydiving, white-water rafting, zip-lining, get a tattoo, parasailing, and more!

Travel: Surprisingly this wasn’t a category on my list. However, due to current circumstances, it makes sense. Maybe travel is a category on your list this summer! Some of the items on my list that might fall under this category are:
“Visit new micro breweries”
“Take a roadtrip to a small town in Ontario”
“Plan a vacation”

[6:22] A few of our listeners have some fun ideas that could also go under travel. Kim wants to spend long days at the beach! Lisa wants to do a family cottage mini vacation, and Haley and Candice want to go camping!

Another category could be Local: Like a picnic in a nearby park, hiking to a local waterfall, tasting new foods from local restaurants, or visiting local farms and gardens.

Your categories can also be based on some of your favourite hobbies and interests such as…

Music: Are there upcoming concerts you want to go to? Festivals you’d like to attend? Playlists you want to curate? Instruments you want to play?

Arts & Crafts: Use up the materials I currently have to make new crafts. Make macrame plant hangers, learn to sew, hand make all Christmas cards, build a birdhouse.

[7:15] When you’re writing out your summer bucket list, you can also think about any goals you have this season, or this year.

For myself, I want to drink more water, and walk more each day so I wrote: set a daily water intake goal, and walk 30 minutes each day.

Consider some of your health and wellness goals also, or your business goals, family goals, friendship and relationship goals. Add some fun ideas to your list that support your soul goals.

Are you training for a marathon?
Do you want to grow your email list?
Are you interested in taking a family vacation?
Do your friends and you love having pool parties?
Maybe you and your partner want to set up a weekly date night? Or a new adventure together!

[7:58] Speaking of friends, family, and relationships… ask your loved ones what is on THEIR summer bucket lists! What are some of the things you can do together, or how can you help each other cross off items on each of your lists?

Are you getting excited yet!? Because I sure am!

[8:15] Okay, let’s talk about some ways you can get creative with your summer bucket list! I mentioned before that you can put a new spin on a classic tradition like our family’s s’mores innovations!

Recipes are a really easy way to do this, for example: If you love a refreshing summer bevy, why not try a new Sangria recipe or margarita recipe?! How about new ways of making pizza, or trying out different smoothie combinations?

Another way to get creative with your list is by combining some of your items. Something on my list is “Rollerblade to Get Ice Cream!” We rollerblade and bike a lot, but we don’t usually get ice cream, so why not go for a blade and a scoop! LOL

I’ve also been doing some watercolour painting, so for one of my bucket list items I wrote: “Watercolour painting in nature” that way I have something to inspire a painting, and I’m spending more time in nature!

One of o ur listeners, Lisa has “strawberry picking” on her summer bucket list, and I love this idea! I want to combine it with “make sangria and add: from local fruits we picked!”

If you’re into some healthy competition, you could turn your pool party into a Pool-palooza hahaha you can set up obstacles, a cannonball contest or games with prizes!

[9:34] One year I wrote 100 things on my Summer Bucket List and I was so hyped up but at the end of the summer felt a bit down because “I only” completed 58 of the items on the list. I’m rolling my eyes at myself right now.

So the following Summer, 2016 I boycotted the list completely! AND INSTEAD I wrote a list of “amazing things I’ve done” the copy of the list I have has 30 items on it and looking back, that was a pretty incredible summer.

The lesson of this story is that the list is supposed to excite you to do some epic things, but leave room for spontaneity, and for organic fun! Isn’t that what summer is about anyways?

Download the FREE Summer Bucket List

Val Lavigne Life Women's Empowerment Podcast

Podcast Host

Valerie LaVigne

Valerie is the creator and founder of Valerie LaVigne Life and the Women's Empowerment Show. She helps busy and empowered women create healthy habits so that they can become the best version of themselves and transform their lives. Learn more about Valerie here!