Millennials are dreamers. They are redefining what it means to be successful, using money as a means than an end, rather than the other way around. Success means life choices that make them happy, experiences that expand their horizons, and a career that maximizes their potential.
This 2018, millennials are surely going at it again, setting goals and making them happen one after the other. From the simple goals to life-altering ones, millennials are known to never back down. Here’s a look at a millennial’s 2018 bucket list.
1. Try a new sport
Whether you just do it once, or make it a habit, trying out a new sport is something millennials would love to do. It could be as simple as bowling, tennis or target shooting or surfing or scuba diving during a beach trip. It could be skiing or snowboarding during a winter trip outside the country. The thrill of trying something new will stay with you for years and years to come.
2. Read a book
Seems like a simple bucket list idea, but requires a certain level of commitment just the same. Millennials are busy going about their everyday lives and find it hard to just sit down, sip coffee, and read a book without getting interrupted by social media notifications. Reading a book means you find the time and the right state of mind to actually start something and finish it.
3. Move out of parent’s house
This is a big move. One that requires emotional, mental, and financial maturity. But this is a decision that will change your life and teach you all about responsibility and the obligations that go with independence.
Embracing condo living, alone or with a roommate, will open many doors and introduce you to new experiences. Most condominium developments, such as DMCI condos, are located at the heart of business districts, making it possible for you to live closer to work. Living close to the workplace will save you time and energy, which can be used for other more productive activities.
It will also enhance your sense of responsibility because you will pay your own bills, cook your own meals, make up your own bed, and figure out how to fix a broken sink on your own.
4. Cook a meal
Not just pancakes or hotdogs, but a nice, decent, warm meal. Millennials are about living healthy and trying out gluten or carb-free diets. More and more are trying not eat out of a box, and learning how to work the kitchen is a necessary and important skill to have these days.
5. Go for that promotion
Millennials are go-getters. They know what they are capable of doing and they know how much they are worth. If there’s a promotion at stake, go ahead and go for it. You might end up not getting it, but since when did that stop you?
6. Find a mentor
A mentor could be a manager at work, a co-worker, a friend or a relative. This 2018, find someone who you can talk to about your professional and personal life. Find someone who will listen, and someone you trust. Chances are that you already have a mentor in your life, you just have to engage with that person more.
7. Commit to an investment
You know you are in the adulting phase when you start asking about stocks and bonds, inquiring about getting a car loan, and getting excited about walking into a home depot. Making an investment, such as getting your own DMCI condo, is an item in your bucket list that you’ll probably need to commit to for a longer period of time, and 2018 is a perfect year to start.
8. Cut that credit line
Manage your finances better, and stop swiping that credit card. This 2018, close your credit card account (or at least one of them if you have multiple) and start paying in cash. Stop swiping that card for things you don’t need and things you can’t really afford.
9. Start a saving mechanism
Being an adult has a lot to do with financial maturity and security. Every year, people make resolutions to save more and spend less, but it seems the momentum is hard to sustain. What a young working professional can do is to find a saving scheme or mechanism that actually works for you. There is no single correct way of saving money, stick to the one that you can commit to.
10. Run a marathon, or for charity
So everyone is crazy about running a marathon or participating in an organization’s fun run. Do it once. The experience is something worth looking back to, and who knows, it might even inspire you to start a healthy lifestyle.
11. Go hiking
Just like running, hiking has become a popular weekend activity. Prepare for it and do it. Join friends who hike, or find a group who does. Start with trails for beginners, and end the day with newfound friends and renewed love for nature.
12. Volunteer in the community
Giving back is a bucket list idea that never gets old, because it is absolutely the right thing to do. Millennials are passionate about a lot of things happening around them such as issues with the environment, health, education, etc. Pay it forward by volunteering your time or your talent in a worthy cause.
13. Travel solo
This is not for everyone, but adventurous and fearless millennials might want to try this at least once. Whether domestic or overseas, traveling solo will transform you into a whole new different person. It will give you a chance to explore, live like a local, get lost (and be okay with it), discover new places, meet new people, and decide to be happy with just “you.”
14. Take parents out on a date
Sure, you probably eat dinner with them at home or occasionally dine out with them. But this year, make it extra special by taking them out on a date. Ask them to dress up, open the car door for them, give your mom flowers, order their favorite dishes, and accent with wine or candles. And please don’t forget to foot the bill.
15. Find a second job you love
You have a day job, which hopefully you love. But we always have extra time on our hands and finding a second job should not only give you extra income but also broaden your horizon. It could be selling something online, online tutoring or writing blogs. It could be producing helpful videos, editing photos or baking cookies. Do something on the side that you are extremely passionate about, and your days are surely going to be happier.
16. Attend a class
What is it that you want to learn this year? You want to learn how to swim? Attend a swimming class. These days, there are classes being offered for practically anything. Know how it feels like to be part of a class — yoga, pilates, music, swimming —and you’ll be surprised how much you enjoy it. This is a creative bucket list idea that would introduce you not just to a new skill, but a new you.
17. Reconnect with friends
The older you get, the fewer friends you have. It’s a sad reality, isn’t it? But it doesn’t have to be this way. It is so easy to connect with friends at a time of social media. So send them a message now and arrange for a day to meet. We have all been very busy, and making an opportunity to reconnect is golden. Wouldn’t it be nice to catch up with your childhood best friend?
18. Say “thank you” in different languages
We must always find ways to surround ourselves with positivity. Having a grateful heart is a big step towards this. In your own simple way, learn how to say “thank you” in five or ten languages. You’ll find how beautiful the words “thank you” are, in whatever language.
Millennials are in the perfect time and place to do more, and be more. Make 2018 a year of wonderful changes and discoveries. A year of unforgettable firsts.