The 2007 Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman movie The Bucket List contributed a few words to our vocabulary based on a wish list conjured up by two men who were terminally ill and wanted to embark on a road trip before they “kicked the bucket”.

The term “bucket list” has now been borrowed by the rest of us as a way to formulate a wish list of our own without the exclusive motivation of dying. 

The concept of 10,000 Things to Do Before You Die is also a bit wanting.

There’s nothing wrong with fantasizing and you never know, you may actually do something you would have not done had it not been for your bucket list.

But bucket lists should also be all about sharing your life and doing fulfilling things – not just focused on one person.

A better alternative to the bucket list is to live each moment to the fullest.

The things we do for ourselves, families or friends is not a sacrifice but a privilege.

Here are some ideas from wikiHow to live like there is no tomorrow:

1. Listen to music and enjoy it. Express yourself by dancing to it or singing along.
    
2. Participate in active conversation and engage in the subject matter with another human.
    
3. Forgive. Many of us carry grudges with us that haunt us, and those grudges also prevent us from opening our hearts to others because we’re scared of getting hurt again.
    
4. Children don’t worry about the future; they play and enjoy every moment for what it is. They haven’t yet learned to think ahead or mull over the past, so take the opportunity to learn from them.
    
5. Watch your breath, by noticing your breathing pattern your mind naturally quiets and pays more attention to the present moment.
    
6. Think about how happy your good deed could make someone!

Sometimes the fantasy of the future is found on no list at all. 

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