Do you have a bucket list?

A new movie in the theatres across Canada is called The Bucket List, starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. It tells of two older men who are dying and meet as roommates in the hospital. One of them talks about an assignment in college to make a list of the things he wanted to do before he died, a task he never completed. Together they make what they dub the "bucket list" (as in before you kick it). Predictably the list includes sky diving, racing fast cars, visiting the wall of China and various wild adventures. They get to experience some of their dreams and make an effort to fulfil more important and difficult ones as the movie unfolds.

As financial advisors, we ask people about their dreams and what they want to do with their lives. As a result, we have a good idea of what people might wish they had done at the end of their lives. Although sky diving and fast cars may be on the list for some people, most would have different regrets.

Almost all would like to have risked more, but specified that the risks were primarily about the heart-being truer to themselves, pursuing their dreams and loving more deeply. Many of them regretted not being more careful about how they used their time. They concluded that they had wasted time on things that did not matter. They told us that people spend far too much time worrying about what others think and not enough time listening to their inner voices.

Many of them would like to have been there for the people they loved. They confided that their greatest fear is not failure or even death but never to have lived and that their last words would be: "I wish I had" or "I should have..."

We have discovered that building reflection into our existence is critical if we are to be deeply satisfied with our lives and careers. Many clients tell us that they have set aside time for reflection, often on a daily basis.

Our company has helped clients establish a "dream journal" to make sure their bucket list is on track. Creating a dream journal and making sure it stays current is an excellent tool to keep life and career on course. Dream journals are like wills; everyone knows you should have one but many never get around to it.

When the two men in The Bucket List created their list, they filled it with things they wanted to DO before they die. Our clients' lists contained quite a few of those things as well (such as trips they wanted to take and experiences they wanted to have, like attending the NBA finals), but they wanted to BECOME before they died (for example, a more generous person, a mentor to younger people in their profession, well remembered by others).

That is why we ask clients to create a dream journal during our meetings-we want to know more about them than just their financial goals. We also ask them to make a list of what they want to DO and BECOME while they are alive. Making list of career aspirations is also a good idea-what do you want to DO and to BECOME during your career? Once you create your list, build in time to check it every two or three months to determine if it still makes sense. Should something be added? What has been accomplished? What will my focus be for the months ahead?

Of course, in the end, the two characters in the Bucket List discover that there may be more important things to do before you die than sky dive. Whether you see the movie or not, it's a good idea to make your list now.