Who Has a Fantasy Bucket List?

We read about bucket lists all the time, but for me, the movie Bucket List brought home the finality of it all. I noticed on Facebook this week questions about where you would like to travel, as related to your bucket list. I traveled to Hawaii in 2005 on business and yearn for a chance to return just for fun and sun. Dreams aside, Dictionary.com notes that a bucket list is a number of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime.

Having given this topic a great deal of thought I will step out of my day-to-day realistic mode and present my fantasy nonprofit-related bucket list:

1. Having a donor walk into my office with a check for at least $10 million dollars, allowing me to make my fiscal-year goal months in advance, create new programs and help more people
2. Writing a best-selling book on surviving and thriving in the nonprofit world that would help give ideas and tips to future nonprofit pros
3. Receiving a new, international Pay It Forward award from an internationally known fundraising organization, in which I could actually turn around and immediately give to a more deserving award recipient without them knowing about it
4. Opening my email and have multiple organizations bidding for my consulting services on retainer for life
5. Being named president of my new nonprofit executive search firm and always having more openings than candidates for excellent open positions. I love to help my peers get jobs when they need help!
6. Waking up and having the perfect board that completely understands its mission and owns results with staff for opening doors, soliciting prospects and closing gifts
7. Signing a multi-year contract to speak at fundraising conferences on topics of my choice
8. Having a monthly post or blog that has several million subscribers and followers
9. Being named CEO of a large community foundation in my hometown where I can give away millions to impact my community in the future
10. Having a social media weekly “philanthropic moment” where I showcase best-of-class programs
11. Receiving a Ph.D. from the Indiana University Lilly School of Philanthropy and having a donor underwrite a philanthropic chair in my name in perpetuity, while I teach from my tenured position until I decide to retire
12. Winning the lottery and creating my own foundation where I have millions to give to worthy causes
13. Having the ability and funds to create a philanthropic institute to teach anyone interested on all aspects of giving time, talent and treasure to better mankind

Do you have a real or fantasy related bucket list? In truth, we can only control a small part of our destiny. We care about others and the profession we serve. View your job as a part of your overall career. See what you have accomplished and what you can realistically accomplish in the future.

At a certain point in your career you will not care about bucket list achievements. You will care about bucket list experiences that will enrich your life and others around you. You will value the quality of life as opposed to the quantity of life. Stop and smell the roses and appreciate the fact you have helped many people along the way without knowing it. My hope is your bucket list will always include an item that helps others. That is what makes nonprofit professionals special.