Creating a new experience list

You've probably heard of a “bucket list” a list of things you want to do before you kick the bucket. This is typically filled with things like visiting far off places or hitting career markers, and often doesn't cover the little things. Yet experiences aren't always about doing big things. They can be as simple as trying a new restaurant or getting all your vegetables from a farmer's market.

A new experience list can be a great way to give yourself ideas for smaller things you can check off your list, as well as giving you things to look forward to the next time you have a day off. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Have a variety

Want to climb to the top of a mountain? That's certainly an experience, but if your experience list is only filled with these things you may not be able to get them done. Make sure you include little experiences too, like trying something on the menu you've never had before, or visiting the fancy restaurant you can't otherwise justify.

Big flop? Remember it's still an experience

Often times, new experiences are about pushing the envelope. Sometimes we don't make it our first time. If you couldn't finish the marathon after all, or chickened out at the haunted house you wanted to see with your friends, don't look at it as a failure. Instead, celebrate how far you got. Maybe you didn't finish the marathon, but how many other people can run 10 miles in a row? 

Maybe you didn't join your friends in the haunted house, but you enjoyed the somewhat less haunted carnival it was attached to while your friends were screaming away in the scariest place on earth.

Even an incomplete experience can still be fulfilling, so don't stress if you don't always make it.

Write about it

Keeping a blog or a journal can help encourage you to keep seeking new experiences and learning new things. You'll also be able to look back on old experiences and remember, a fun thing to do especially when you get older and want to look back on your younger years.

Even if you're still quite young, looking back on who you were last year, and how much you've grown in that time, can be an experience all on its own.

Ignore the critics

There's going to be a few people in life who role their eyes at your choices, or point out all the flaws in your plan. They're not worth listening to. Your life is your own, and you shouldn't have to be limited by someone elses stifling view of the world. If you get joy out of cooking every single item in the Joy of Cooking cookbook, that's okay. You do you.

 Experiences are perhaps one of the most valuable things we will ever get out of our lives. Being able to look back at the good times we've had, laugh about the flops, and share the pictures and memories with others is a fantastic experience. If you've been thinking about creating an experience list, use these tips to help kickstart your plan to get more out of life.