What Dream Can You Cross Off Your Life List This Year?

Writing a life list is fun. Crossing items off is better. Yet many lists sit in drawers for years, full of wonderful ideas that never move from "someday" to "this year". Here's how to choose one dream and make it happen.

If you don't have a list yet, start with day 1 of the Just for Today Challenge or the life list builder.

Step 1: Choose the right dream

Read through your list and look for an item that scores well on three questions:

Does it excite me? You'll need that energy when things get difficult.
Is it achievable within a year? It can be ambitious, but it should be possible with effort.
Is now a good time? Consider your money, health, responsibilities and other commitments.

If several items fit, choose the one you'd most regret not doing if this year passed without it.

Step 2: Define what "done" looks like

Vague dreams are hard to finish. Make it concrete:

"Learn to swim" becomes "swim 25 lengths of the local pool without stopping".
"Visit Japan" becomes "spend ten days in Japan in October".
"Write a book" might become "finish a first draft of 50,000 words" for this year.

Step 3: Work backwards

Start with the finish date and break the dream into monthly steps. For example, if your goal is to run a 10 km race in September:

Month	Step
March	Choose a race and sign up
April	Start a beginner running plan, three short runs a week
May–July	Gradually increase distance
August	Practise running 8–10 km
September	Race day

Each month has one clear focus. That's far less overwhelming than "run 10 km".

Step 4: Budget time and money

Many dreams stall because they quietly need resources nobody planned for.

Time: how many hours a week will this take? Where will they come from? Put them in your calendar.
Money: what will it cost? Open a separate savings pot and set up a small automatic transfer. Our challenge day on saving money explains how.

Step 5: Tell someone

Share your dream with a friend or family member and ask them to check in with you once a month. Even better, invite someone to join you. Shared dreams are more fun and harder to abandon.

Step 6: Expect obstacles

Something will get in the way: illness, a busy month at work, unexpected costs. Plan for it now. Ask: what's most likely to derail this? What will I do if that happens? Psychologist Gabriele Oettingen's research on mental contrasting suggests that thinking about obstacles in advance makes people more likely to follow through than positive fantasies alone.

Step 7: Celebrate and record it

When you cross the dream off, mark it properly. Take photos, write about the experience, share it with the people who helped. Then add it to your list of proudest moments.

If the dream changes

Sometimes, halfway through, you realise the dream isn't what you wanted after all. That's not failure; it's learning. Adjust the goal or choose another item. Your list should change as you do.

Try this

Choose one dream from your list. Write what "done" looks like, the finish date, the first three monthly steps, the budget and who you'll tell. Take the first step this week.

Questions people ask

What if my dream is expensive?

Give it a savings pot and a later date, and pick a cheaper item to do in the meantime. Many big dreams also have smaller versions you can enjoy now.