
[I had way too much fun with Photoshop yesterday.]
Recently on Twitter, Fit Bottomed Girls posted a link to this article by Steve Ruiz on his compilation of a fitness bucket list. If you have seen the movie Bucket List with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, you know what I’m talking about.
A bucket list is essentially a list of all the things you want to accomplish before you, ahem, kick the bucket.
Some of the things Steve wrote on his fitness bucket list were bench pressing 300 pounds, hiking to the summit of a mountain, and running a marathon in Greece.
The best part of this list is that it can be as crazy and as ‘out there’ as you want to make it. It is your list and you can write any crazy fitness goal you have ever dreamed of!
Of course, I was super, super excited to make my own fitness bucket list!!
Being a visual person, I knew I wanted something I could put up on the wall to motivate and inspire me.
I printed off this image of a bucket onto cardstock. Click image for the full size and you can save it to your desktop. Print away.
After printing on cardstock, I took a pair of scissors and made a slit in the top of the bucket going horizontally. After that, I taped a piece of paper on the backside of the bucket. The paper will catch the list item that you stick through the slit.
Then I typed up and printed off the list items and I cut them up into long strips. Finally, I printed a title for my bucket and taped that on.
Voila…my very own real life fitness bucket list:

Here are the fitness things I want to do before I kick the bucket!! ;)
My list:
- Run half marathon
- Run sub 2hr half marathon
- Climb Canadian Rockies
- Take yoga class in yoga studio
- Indoor rock climbing
- Run marathon
- Outdoor rock climbing
- Sky dive
- 25 regular push-ups without stopping
- Sail on a catamaran
- Learn how to scuba dive
- Run a race in a foreign country
- Organize a huge charity run with bloggers/readers
Once I accomplish goals on my list, I am going to pull out the strip and staple/tape it to the side of the bucket.

I put it on beside my desk so I can see it each and every day to motivate me to stay on the right fitness track. I think this will be especially motivating once winter hits! It puts a big smile on my face when I look at it and imagine myself doing all of those things.
What would your fitness bucket list say? In other words, if you knew you could NOT fail, what would you do?

Practice hope. As hopefulness becomes a habit, you can achieve a permanently happy spirit.
~Norman Vincent Peale
This is such a great idea! Let me know when you plan that charity run. Would love to be involved! ;)
Ange,
I see rock climbing on your list! Fantastic. If you’re ever in Philly, you’ve got a free pass to my gym coming to ya!
~Run a marathon with my best friend and little bro (my running inspirations)
~Ride the full MS city to shore ride with my biking pal
~Climb a 5.12 indoors and outdoors
~Learn to lead climb indoors and outdoors
~Complete the “Heart of Darkness Uncut” and “SpringMountain Warrior” courses at http://springmountainadventures.com/canopytours.php
~Learn trapeze
~Bench 110#
Small goal for the fall – get my 5k down to 25 min!
Oh I love this. I am totally going to do this. I have already completed a lot of things on my list like a triathlon, half marathon, sub 2hr half, century ride. I would add a marathon, hike the Grand Canyon, bike the California Coast. I will have to brainstorm others. How inspirational – thank you!
I love this, Angela!!! What a brilliant, cute, FUN idea. Mine would say:
-run a marathon
-run a half marathon
-(honestly) enjoy running
-learn to mountain bike
-give rock climbing a try
…those are just a few.
This is the CUTEST and greatest idea! Wow!
What an awesome (and cute) idea!
That’s so awesome! I would do a triathlon maybe — I just learned how to ride a bike a few weeks ago! :)
Great idea!
A few of mine would be…
-run a half marathon
-do a trail run
-learn to mountain bike
-get back in shape after my lazy summer!
-get up to 20 lb free weights
-learn to do 30 perfect pushups (again!)
-get back into martial arts
Wow — this is great (and I enjoyed your “visual” presentation. I have just a few:
1. 100 push-ups (yes, I lost a bet to my husband, and am now on a 100 push-up plan he completed a few months ago)
2. Learn to use Russian Kettlebells
3. Take dance classes
4. Learn to play golf
I think I might consider stealing Susan’s: squat my own body weight.
I feel like I’ve done so much on my fitness bucket list, but there is still so much to do!
-qualify for the Boston Marathon (so close I can taste it!)
-run an ultra marathon
-complete an Iron Man
-summit the 7 highest peaks in the world
-Crew at Badwater
-hike the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu
-start cross-country skiing
-perfect my ice climbing.
I love this idea … I really want to think on this some more, but off the top of my head:
1. Make yoga a part of my daily life
2. Scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef
3. Hike the Great Wall of China (or at least part of it)
4. maybe run a marathon … maybe. :)
Wow, great idea. There’s so much I’d love to complete athletically at some point in my life…
– complete a marathon
– do an Ironman
– take a yoga class
– improve my flexibility
– do 15 + REGULAR pushups
– do 5 + pull ups (unassisted!)
– take a pilates class
– become a personal trainer
– hike the Klondike trail
– hike the westcoast trail
– sky dive
– scuba dive
– bungee jump
(I’m not sure the last three count as “exercise” bucket list goals…)
Anyway that’s a start, it’ll grow I’m sure as time goes on.
What a fun idea! I want to run a marathon and triathlon.
Ooh! I love setting goals, making lists, AND doing crafts!! Great project, Angela!
My goals:
-Do an unsupported (ie. not against a wall) handstand
-Do a yoga class somewhere tropical
-Do a multiple-day bike tour somewhere in Europe
-Loosen up my hip flexors, glutes, and hamstrings
-Start an early morning practice of either yoga or meditative walks
-Work on an organic farm (does that count? I imagine it would be hard work!)
-Go back to South America to CLIMB SOME MORE MOUNTAINS!!!
-Try not to ever lose my flexibility (physical AND mental) with age (this one is a PROCESS and not a GOAL!)
Thanks for the thought-provoker!!
Have a good weekend :)
Alex
it looks like a few folks mentioned it, but try the hundred push-up challenge. i’m starting in sept! i did the first few weeks and got distracted, but it was ridiculously motivating and satisfying.
http://www.hundredpushups.com/
WOW! Good Question! Mine would be:
– Run a half marathon
– Learn to swim
– Do a mini Triathlon
– Be able to do yoga on my own without needing a teacher to tell me what to do.
I wrote these down for myself…
i LOVE this idea, and i loved reading all the comments, other poeple had some great ideas as well! :)
My way out there idea would be to complete an Ironman. I think the feeling of accomplishment would be like nothing else.
My short term idea is to do an unassisted pull up (or 10).
So fun to read everyone else’s lists and get some great ideas!
Courtney
Adventures in Tri-ing
Hello. First off, I just want to say that I love your blog. You really have the whole inspiring thing down! Secondly, the bucket list idea is awesome. I think I’ll have to make one myself. Also, I like the blog makeover. The orange color is dreamy.
I LOVE this!! This is why you and I get along – we both love to be creative like this! The bucket is so cute I can’t even tell you.
My bucket list for fitness would be pretty simple:
* Run a half marathon
* Run a marathon
* Become a trained yoga instructor
That’s all! So simple, yet so hard to accomplish with a full time job! Haha