The Personal Excellence Blog » bucket list

Update: More Free Ebooks, Simply Her July Feature, 26th Birthday and Other News

Celes — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 01:05:15 +0000

Just thought I’ll write a quick post to let you guys know what I’ve been up to.

2 More Free Ebooks For You

Following the huge popularity of the free ebooks (over 10,000 downloads to date!), I just released 2 more free ebooks: How To Be A Dean’s Lister and 1o1 Things To Do Before You Die.

You can download the first book directly off the free ebooks section. The 2nd book requires you to be a TPEB newsletter subscriber first. (I’ve replaced the previous TPEB compilation guide with 101 Things To Do Before You Die as the free ebook guide when you sign up.) If you are already a subscriber, simply scroll to the bottom of the latest email newsletter and you’ll find the download link.

Enjoy, and feel free to share the love with others. If you haven’t already, be sure to grab the other 6 free ebooks in the ebooks section. Please retweet and share the link on facebook if you found them useful

Successful Workshop: How To Write Winning Resumes (19 June)

Last Saturday (19 June), I conducted the 2nd run of How To Write Winning Resumes with JobsCentral. The workshop was a complete blast – participants said they had many takeaways and we received near perfect ratings on all metrics- beneficial level, application, speaker, value for money, workshop style, among others!

Participants all felt this was very high value for money and those who attended similar resume/employment workshops before said our workshop is a lot better than the others. 100% of them voted they will recommend this to their friends. Thanks to everyone for coming.

Here are some photos:

Early in the morning – The JobsCentral team getting ready for registrations. Love the bunny mascot!

A quiet classroom – 30 minutes before the workshop commencement

Here we go! Me kicking off and introducing myself to everyone

Participants hard at work There were plenty of hands-on activities and exercises for participants to take away the maximum learnings from what was taught.

Discussions galore within the groups That’s Sushant (closest to the picture with the green number 3), Danny (striped polo tee), Leow (orange), Justin (black) and Devin (white).

One of our participants, Devin, boldly presenting and sharing to the class

Many more pictures at: How To Write Winning Resumes and Achieve Employment Success (TSOPE Facebook Gallery). If you haven’t, be sure to join the Facebook fanpages: The School of Personal Excellence | The Personal Excellence Blog.

Simply Her Feature (July Feature)

My July feature with Simply Her is now out in the news stands . For the benefit of non-Singapore readers, I’ve scanned it and you can read it below. Here’s the behind-the-scenes photoshoot. We had single shots and group shots, and I guess they went ahead with the group shot in the end.

Click each thumbnail to see the full size page. Surf over to the media section for past media features.

Thanks to all your kind comments in my Facebook album

My 26th Birthday

This Friday, 25 June, marks my 26th birthday . Time really flies – it feels like just a few months ago when I was writing about my 25th birthday.

I won’t be doing anything special for this year’s birthday – just the same old, celebrating with my best friends – watching movies, playing board games, catching up, dining together . And I wouldn’t want it any other way too

Coming Next at TPEB

For the past 1.5 years, I’ve been giving away some of my best content for free at the blog. I wanted to single-mindedly focus on gaining traction and building awareness, and hence did not concern myself with the monetization aspect of business. It is also to level-up myself quickly. This has worked out great – TPEB is now an established name in the personal development blogosphere (thanks to you guys) and readers come here because they recognize the high value of the content.

Now that things are moving along, I’ll be focusing more on the business aspect of my work. Nothing’s going to change on the blog-front – I’ll still continue to write as per normal, with free articles on how to live in excellence and answering questions via Ask Celes. If anything, there will be new, exciting additions – be prepared to see new products packed with extremely high value (books, online courses) and a series of targeted services (1-1 coaching and seminars) designed to meet your needs. It’ll be an exciting period up ahead .

The Personal Excellence Book – Your Handbook To Live Your Best Life

The first product coming up will be The Personal Excellence Book – a compilation of the best articles at The Personal Excellence Blog in the past 2 years. This will be bigger and better than the previous TPEB compilation I offered to newsletter subscribers. I’m considering compiling all the best articles to date in this new series, but that might be an overkill so I’ll evaluate accordingly.

Many readers have suggested that I release a compilation book of the blog, and this is the answer to your requests. On one hand, you have the best of TPEB put together in 1 book conveniently for your perusal. You’ll be able to read TPEB on the go (on your phone, Kindle, iPador laptop), even without being connected to the internet. You’ll be able to print it out easily and use it as a book. On the other hand, it’s a form of value return for me – the money I earn through this book will support myself, allow me to continue the work I’m doing and enable me to embark more projects to help more people.

Expect to read more on this in a week’s time.

Secrets of Excellence: How To Be The Best In Everything You Do – Unreleased Content

This will be the upcoming book which I’ve been talking about. I’m still writing this as I speak (about 25% done at the moment) and it’s not going to be due for another few months at least. In a way, this is a very early announcement, but I’m just really excited about it and I can’t wait to share it with you

Secrets of Excellence will contain my best content ever yet. I’ll be sharing my best, timeless principles on achieving excellence in life, alongside with my concepts, strategies, personal stories and examples which bring the principles to life. You absolutely cannot miss this .

I’ve not decided whether I’ll be launching this as an ebook, self-publish or go with a publishing house. Each has its own set of pros and cons. I’m still in the evaluation stage – if you have any experience with book publishing and/or you know of any publishing contacts, please feel free to share with me in the comments area or via contact form.

We Are On CNN! (Bucket Lists and Life)

Celes — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:17:28 +0000

Note from Celes: Hello to all new visitors from Problogger, Lifehack.org and CNN.com If you are new here, please check out the start page which will guide you through.

Some of you might have read in some of my earlier posts that I was interviewed by CNN. It’s finally up. The article is on the topic of bucket lists and what it means to different people. I was interviewed to share my take on bucket lists, what it means to me and how it relates to living in excellence.

If you are new here, hello and welcome! Most of you are probably new here. This blog is where I share my personal journey on living life to the fullest. To date there’s over 140 articles, so it can get a little overwhelming. The Welcome page will guide you through the top reader favorites. Feel free to add me on Facebook and Twitter – I’d love to connect with you. Be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed for the latest personal excellence articles.

Here’s the section I was quoted:

Celestine Chua, who has never seen the TV series, came across the bucket list concept while surfing the Internet in 2009.

The 25-year-old from Singapore eventually decided to write her own bucket list, which she shares with the public on her Web site as a reminder to “live every moment to the fullest when you’re in good health.”

Despite already opening her own school for personal development in Singapore and starting an online talk show, Chua said she thinks No. 14, “experience true love,” will be the most challenging goal to accomplish.

“You might think [a bucket list is] just a list of goals, but if you’re really thinking about things you want to see, experience and feel before you die, then the whole concept of setting goals is totally different,” Chua said. “When we start thinking about what we want to do before we die, our goals become totally different. Fall in love, see the Empire State building. That’s the magic of the bucket list — it removes limits.”

They linked to my bucket list in the article, so we are getting a whole stream of visitors from CNN.com now. As I’m writing now, my web server is starting to jam up from the huge influx of traffic.

I know, I mentioned experiencing true love will be the most challenging goal to accomplish. I’m sure many people out there feel the same way too. But hey, I believe as long as we persist in this journey, we will get there

There were other interesting things I discussed with Stephanie (the journalist) during the interview but didn’t make it in the story. For example:

Everyone’s bucket list will be different, because our bucket list is supposed to reflect the things that mean most to us in living our best life. For example, my list has quirky stuff like riding a camel (#57), dressing up in a costume party (#67 – gosh, I love masquerading! )), swimming with dolphines (#77) etc due to the spontaneous, fun-loving side of me, and then there’s the items that reflect the romantic idealist in me such as flying in a hot air balloon (#58), stargazing (#63), and experiencing true love (#14). Thus, the goal isn’t to get a bucket list that’s the same as mine or his or hers, but to create a bucket list that’s true for you yourself.
Bucket lists act as a medium to help us live our best life. Hence, it’s important that we don’t get hung up over trying to accomplish our bucket list items that we miss living itself. It’s about the journey of living life to the fullest, every second, every moment.
After creating our bucket list, our goal shouldn’t be to just complete it. Rather, we should be completing and adding new things to our list continuously. There is absolutely no reason why our bucket list should ever be empty. There is such an incredible wealth of things, events, activities, experiences to witness/go through in life that it’s impossible that we will ever be done with living. This is why my bucket list is never going to be empty. I’m continuously completing and adding on new items that will help me live my life to the fullest.

By the way , #46 of my list is to be featured in international media, which will include CNN. So this interview helped me achieve one of my list items. I feel very blessed. Thanks so much guys for all your ongoing support

Be sure to check out:

What’s On Your Bucket List? 101 Things To Do Before You Die (a comprehensive article I wrote on bucket lists)
My Bucket List
Living as if they had only one day left (CNN Story)

What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear from you!

What’s On Your Bucket List? 101 Things To Do Before You Die

Celes — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:30:36 +0000

A few days ago, I was surfing online when I came across someone’s bucket list. It quickly inspired me to create my own bucket list as well and write an article at the same time.

What’s a Bucket List?

If you haven’t heard about the bucket list, it is a wish list of all the goals you want to achieve, dreams you want to fulfill and life-experiences you desire to experience before you die. The term is inspired by the movie The Bucket List (2007) about two terminally ill men (Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman) who set off to achieve a list of things they want to do before they die.

Why Create a Bucket List?

Why have a bucket list? If you don’t live your days by personal goals and plans, chances are you spend most of your time caught up in a flurry of day-to-day activities. Ever feel your days are passing by without any tangible output to speak of? What were your accomplishments in the past 3 months? What are your upcoming goals for the next 3 months? Look at the things you did and the things you’re planning to do next – Do they mean anything to you if you are to die today? Having a bucket list reminds you of what’s really important so you can act on them.

Even if you frequently live by goals or to-do lists, they are probably framed within a certain social context e.g., performance, career, health (Read Gold, Silver and Bronze Tasks on how to create effective to-do lists). A bucket list opens up your mind to set totally context-free goals where you list down anything and everything you ever wanted to do, no qualifiers needed.

It’s just like planning ahead all the highlights you want for YOUR whole life. Even though goal setting is already my staple activity, I still found many new things to do while I was writing on my bucket list. It was an incredibly insightful exercise. What’s more, coming up with the list it gave me a whole new layer of enthusiasm knowing what’s in store ahead!

The objective of creating a bucket list isn’t to instill some kind of a race against time or to create aversion towards death. I don’t see our existence to be limited to just our physical years on earth – I see our physical lifespan is but a short speck of our entire existence which spans across an infinite amount of time. The whole point of a bucket list is to maximize every moment of our existence and live our life to the fullest. It’s a reminder of all the things we want to achieve in our time here, so that instead of pandering our time in pointless activities, we are directing it fully toward what matters to us.

Create Your Bucket List

If you don’t have a bucket list, I highly recommend you to create one. How much does it cost? Probably 30 minutes to an hour, or more if you get really caught up in the writing . What do you gain? Significant clarity and focus on what you want from your life. It’s an invaluable exchange.

If you have already written your bucket list before, take this opportunity to review it. See if there are new items you want to add-on. If so, add them in. Check if all the items listed are still relevant. If not, remove them.

If you are curious, you can check out my bucket list before you start off

Now, take out your pen and paper or open up a text editing document. You can check out the following sites where people publicly share their bucket lists: 43 Things, Your 100 Things, Barefoot List, My Life List.

Start writing down what comes to mind as you read these questions:

What if you were to die tomorrow? What would you wish you could do before you die?
What have you always wanted to do but have not done yet?
What will you do if you have unlimited time, money and resources?
Any countries, places or locations you want to visit?
What are your biggest goals and dreams?
What do you want to see in person?
What achievements do you want to have?
What experiences do you want to have / feel?
Are there any special moments you want to witness?
What activities or skills do you want to learn or try out?
What are the most important things you can ever do?
What would you like to say/do together with other people? People you love? Family? Friends?
Are there any specific people you want to meet in person?
What do you want to achieve in the different areas: Social, Love, Family, Career, Finance, Health (Your weight, Fitness level), Spiritual?
What do you need to do to lead a life of the greatest meaning?

Come up with as many items as you can. The items should be things you have not done yet. Don’t stop until you finish listing at least 101 things! If you find yourself stuck, chances are you are mentally limiting/constraining yourself. Release those shackles – Remember, this is a list of everything you want to achieve, do, see, feel and experience in your life. Check out the next section for added inspiration.

101 Things to Consider for Your Bucket List

Here are 101 bucket list items to consider for your bucket list . Some of the items might spark off your inspiration for other things too!

Travel all around the world
- All the countries in the world
- Visit all the Wonders of the World
- 1001 places to see before you die
Learn a new language
Try out a new profession in a different field
Achieve your ideal weight
Run a marathon

Take part in a triathlon
Take up a new sport. Some examples:
- Technique sports: Archery, Golf, Bowling, Billiard, Skateboarding, Skating, Roller-blading, Ice skating
- Water sports: Water rafting, Kayaking, Wakeboarding, Sailing, Scuba diving, Snorkeling, Swimming
- Group sports: Soccer, Rugby, Baseball, Basketball, Ultimate frisbee
- Racket sports: Squash, Badminton, Tennis, Table tennis
Go skiing
Learn horseback riding
Resign from a job you don’t like
Pursue your passion.
Start your own business doing something you love
Achieve financial abundance with your passion
Connect with all your teachers from your past schools – college, high school, junior high, all of it. Let them know how they have shaped your life.
Identify someone who has inspired you the most in your life. Let him/her know how much he/she has inspired you
Be a mentor to someone
Learn a strategy game
Do an extreme sport – Bungee jump, Skydiving, Parachuting, Paragliding, Ice climbing
Climb a mountain
Give a heartfelt surprise to someone
Make a difference in someone’s life
Perform a kind deed to at least 5 strangers without expecting anything in return
Write a book on something that means a lot to you
Fly in a hot-air balloon across a country
Sing your favorite song to an audience
Offer your service to a humanitarian cause
Make friends with at least 5 strangers on the street
Experience a sunset
Experience a sunrise

See the Northern Lights
Witness a solar eclipse
Go stargazing
Plant your own tree and watch it grow
Own a pet (or more if you desire!): dog, cat, rabbit, hamster, tortoise, fish, snake, frog, etc
Do public speaking in front of 10,000 people
Write a letter to at least 3 of your closest friends to let them know how much they mean to you
Throw a mega party
Get a complete makeover (change everything, from your hair style, hair color, image, clothes) and get a different look: one which you would never have thought of trying!
Learn wine appreciation
Join a social etiquette class and further refine your mannerisms
Be a matchmaker: Introduce your single friends to each other (the rest is up to them!)
Go on a blind date! (for the singles!)
Go for future education in a different specialization
Play a (new) musical instrument: Piano, Violin, Harmonica, Flute, Guitar, Drum, Trumpet
Win a lucky draw
Take up dancing: Salsa, Line dance, Tap dance, Tango, Ballroom dancing, etc

Learn a martial art
Go on a road trip
Go backpacking across at least 10 locations
Pack your bags and set off for a random location with no itinerary planned at all
Go swimming with dolphins
Live in a different country for at least 6 months
Act in a film (self production or otherwise)
Get featured on TV/radio/print/newspapers for an achievement you are proud of
Knit a scarf
Create your dream home (Read: Does Your Room Inspire You?)
Whip up the best meal ever for your loved ones
Bake a cake for someone special
Go deep into the heart of Mother Nature. Go trekking in a rainforest; Camp out in the wilds; Walk in a valley; Visit a waterfall; Swim in an ocean; Walk in a valley

See snow (if you haven’t before)
Live through 4 seasons of the year – Spring, summer, autumn, winter
Read a book on a subject you’d never have thought of reading
Volunteer at a hospice
Fly a kite

Fall asleep on grassy plains
Call the customer service (of a service provider you like) just to thank them for the great service
If you are a non-vegetarian, try out vegetarianism for 21 days and experience it for yourself.
After that, try veganism
Followed by raw veganism. Then conclude which is the best diet for you.
Fold a 1,000 origami cranes and give them to someone special.
Conquer your biggest fear
Go snorkeling and experience marine life up close
Tell at least 10 people about your bucket list and encourage them to do the same
Go on a meditation retreat
Experience an OBE (out of body experience)
Start a social movement on a cause you believe in
Watch cherry blossoms in Japan
Get closure on all your hurt, grievances and unhappiness of the past
Bury the hatchet with all the enemies / people you had conflict with in the past or now
Organize a picnic outing
Do something completely crazy and out of character
Fly first class
Hit bullseye on a dartboard
Visit a volcano
Fly in a helicopter
Have dinner with someone you had only dreamed of meeting
Tell your parents (and siblings too if you have them) that you love them.
Ride a roller coaster
Go on a cruise in the sea
Try out front-line customer service jobs such being a waiter/waitress for a month just for the experience
Fall in love

Be in love!
Get on a romantic getaway
Do a somersault
Visit a castle in England

Change the world
Help someone in need
Learn sign language
See the Mona Lisa in Louvre (Paris)
Go to a costume party and dress up as your fantasy character
Gain enlightenment

Here are some sites you might want to check out for inspiration as you create your bucket list:

Get Into Action!

After you finish your bucket list, here’s what to do next:

Start acting on them! Plan out the successful path towards these goals – For this, read my 7-part Successful Goal Achievement series.
Be reminded of the list all the time. Use environmental reinforcement – put them up in a prominent spot where you will see them every day / very regularly. Set it as your wallpaper, pin it on your noticeboard, print it out, stick it on your wardrobe/locker.
Share them with your family and friends. Inspire them to create their own bucket list too! This way, you also create accountability to your own bucket list.
Don’t limit your bucket list items to a certain definition. Sometimes opportunity present itself in a totally different manner. Keep your eyes peeled! The universe will start throwing things your way.
Review regularly. Cross out the list of things after you do them. See if some of the items have become irrelevant and if there are new things you want to add. Once every 3 months should suffice.

This is part of the Conscious Living series. Be sure to check out:

Download Your Free Ebook: 101 Things To Do Before You Die

Has this series been beneficial for you in any way? I’ve compiled the entire series into a 16-page ebook which you can download free and read in your own time . Simply sign up for the newsletter to get instant access to this free ebook. Feel free to share this with anyone whom you think may benefit from it.

Subscribe to The Personal Excellence Blog for free via RSS and email newsletter for more articles and free ebooks on personal excellence. The blog is updated several times per week. Click on the main page for the latest articles.

Images: Sunrise, Marathon, Snorkeling, Dancing, Forest, Kite, Dating, Castle

The Personal Excellence Blog » bucket list

Update: More Free Ebooks, Simply Her July Feature, 26th Birthday and Other News

2 More Free Ebooks For You

Successful Workshop: How To Write Winning Resumes (19 June)

Simply Her Feature (July Feature)

My 26th Birthday

Coming Next at TPEB

The Personal Excellence Book – Your Handbook To Live Your Best Life

Secrets of Excellence: How To Be The Best In Everything You Do – Unreleased Content

Related Posts:

We Are On CNN! (Bucket Lists and Life)

Related Posts:

What’s On Your Bucket List? 101 Things To Do Before You Die

What’s a Bucket List?

Why Create a Bucket List?

Create Your Bucket List

101 Things to Consider for Your Bucket List

Get Into Action!

Download Your Free Ebook: 101 Things To Do Before You Die

Related Posts: