We just watched ‘The Bucket List’ – starring Jack Nicholson an Morgan Freeman. It was quite a moving film about two oldish guys, two very different guys who are both told they have 6 months to live. They then create a bucket list of things they want to do before they die. Things like skydiving, see something majestic, kiss the most beautiful girl in the world, etc.

Have to say, the most moving bit – the most memorable bit – of the film for me was a bit where Morgan Freeman described how his marriage had become stale and all focused on the kids without them knowing. When the kids left he looked at his wife and couldn’t remember why he loved her in the first place. That scares me. It’s such an easy thing to happen. I’ve witnessed it happen first-hand. With our first child, now almost 9 months old, I can really understand how that can happen to a couple, and how I – as a husband – need to guard against that from happening. Before you know it 30 years have passed.

I and the guys who watched the movie made our own Bucket Lists. Most list items involved spending time with friends and family. We set ourselves the challenge of making a list of 3 things. For a long time I could only think of 1 – ‘to spend every single remaining moment I could with those who truly mattered to me. My family and friends’. At the time of writing the list, all I could think about were my wife and little girl. All the stuff about going to places, eating nice food … that didn’t really appeal.

None of our lists contained anything work or career related and I’ve kept hold of that piece of paper as a reminder. You don’t want to be making that list when time is about to run out. Identify what really matters to you and use your time wisely doing these things.