Why don’t we have a career bucket list?

17 Jul Why don’t we have a career bucket list?

We all have a bucket list — or at least a mental checklist of things we’d love to do in this lifetime:
🌍 Visit Thailand
🎤 Go to a Coldplay concert (✅ just did this — and yes, it was amazing!)
🎻 Play the violin

But lately, I’ve been wondering: why don’t we have a career bucket list, too?

We spend so much of our lives working. But when was the last time we asked ourselves:
💭 What do I really want to experience in my work life?
💭 What would make me look back and say — I’m proud of that?
💭 How do I want my experience to feel, and who do I hope to grow into as I move forward?

A career bucket list isn’t necessarily about job titles or promotions (though those can be great too). It’s about purpose, alignment, and intention. It’s about creating a work life that reflects who you are and what matters to you.

Here are a few nudges to get you started:

🔹 What kind of work makes me feel alive, challenged, and purposeful?
🔹 What values do I want my role — and my workplace — to reflect?
🔹 What kinds of problems do I feel drawn to solve?
🔹 What kind of leader do I want to be remembered as?
🔹Where can I grow — not just upwards, but deeper, broader, and bolder?
🔹 What kind of people energize and inspire me — and how can I surround myself with more of them?
🔹 How do I define success — beyond titles or timelines?

Depending on your career bucket list, there are likely many more questions you’ll want to explore. And as the seasons change (as flagged in one of my previous posts), these questions may change with them.

For me, that list looks something like this:
✅ Supporting meaningful change from the inside out
✅ Contributing to work that leaves a lasting, positive impact — where I can walk away knowing I helped leave something better than how I found it
✅ Seeking opportunities that align with my core principles and ignite my passion, allowing me to lead with intention and integrity
✅ Taking on the messy files no one wants — because sometimes those are the ones that matter most
✅ Being part of teams that support innovation, collaboration, and wellbeing
✅ Leading in a way that prioritizes empathy over ego
✅ Mentoring and empowering others by intentionally creating space and opportunities for growth to actively help them pursue and fulfill their own career dreams and aspirations (aka their career bucket lists)

And just like our personal bucket lists, it’s not about checking every box right away.
It’s about direction, not perfection. It’s about keeping your “why” close, even as the “what” evolves.

Seeing Coldplay live was a dream I’ve held onto for years — and finally experiencing it reminded me how powerful it is to say, “I’ve always wanted to do this — and now I have.”

That’s the kind energy I want in my career too.