I’ll admit it. I was hesitant to create a bucket list because to me goals = pressure, and at this point of my life, I don’t really want more of it.

But i’ve come to realise that when it comes to me and bucket lists, I often only include achievement-oriented goals. What I call my “shiny penny” goals. My Type-A tendencies tend to push me to collect achievement after achievement – be it degrees or amount of money in the bank. There’s little fun in my bucket list. It’s exhausting.

However, inspired by a list created by The Fioneers and Wanderlust Wendy, I’m creating a more holistic version this time. I call it my “life my best life now” bucket list, because I want to do just that – live my best life now, not wait for some day when I finally hit the payload and can finally let go. Living life like this ain’t edifying.

The goals in italics are things I want to accomplish within 1-2 years.

Self care

I barely think about taking care of myself when I pursue my goals. So much so that I damage myself on the way to pursuing my goals. Not a good plan. So here are my goals for this category:

• Practice mindfulness meditation (relaxation response) at least twice a day. Once in the morning, and in the evening.
• Eat more vegetables (take green juices 3x a week)
• Take a yoga retreat ✓
• Swim twice a week
• Walk 15,000 steps a day
• Sleep 8 hours a day
• Lose 10kg
• Take up weight training again

What I want to learn

• Level up my Mandarin from basic to fluent
• Learn to read Chinese (simplified)
• Digital illustration & painting
• Google Adwords Certification
• Google Analytics Certification

What I want to create

• My five-book space opera series
• Space opera covers using digital illustration

Where I want to go

Travelling used to be a big part of my goals, but it kinda lost it’s novelty to me over the years. This probably has got to do with the fact that I spent my 20s and 30s jetting around the world thanks to work. So, I fortunately achieved my wanderlust goal quite early and don’t feel the need or urge to visit more countries anymore. Some of the cities I’ve visited:

• United States: Los Angeles, New York, San Diego
• United Kingdom: London, Manchester, Liverpool, Cheltenham, Cotswolds, Stratford-upon-Avon
• Scotland: Edinburgh
• Ireland: Dublin
• Japan: Tokyo, Kyoto, Hokkaido, Osaka
• Thailand: Pattaya, Bangkok, Songkala
• Hong Kong
• China: Beijing, outskirt towns I can’t remember
• Indonesia: Bali
• Taiwan
• Australia: Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide
• South Korea: Busan, Jeju Island, Seoul

However, if I have the chance I’d like to experience:

• Paris – the museums and galleries
• London – West End plays such as Jersey Boys and Les Miserables
• Provence – a day or two in the countryside
• Italy – Tuscany
• Switzerland
• Germany

I also want to visit more places in Malaysia! I’m a bit of a hotel fan, so I’ve included them in the list:

• Spending a few days in the Eastern & Oriental in Penang
• Butler service at the Majestic, Kuala Lumpur ✓ (did this for a birthday!)
• Malacca ✓
• Foodie visit to ipoh ✓
• Terengganu
• Kelantan

Financial Goals to enable freedom

• Create an online business selling my ebooks that enables me to be location independent
• Create a blog of 25,000 monthly visitors
• Start a pet-sitting side hustle
• Start a beta-reading side hustle
• Create passive income stream that covers my basic living expenses ✓
• Savings rate of 50% above ✓
• Reach financial independence
• Save RM100k – my “independence” fund
• Reach RM1mil net worth
• Reduce monthly expenses to RM2k

Minimalism goals

• Eat most of my vegetables from my own vegetable patch
• Sell / donate most of the items I don’t need (and that are in storage at my parents!)

PS: Note that I don’t have a section for Career goals. I think I’d rather keep that close to my chest if you know what I mean (winks) but I have written it down in my journal.