Episode 137: Why Carrying a Bucket for your Bucket List is ALWAYS Important
Summary
Someone once said something along the lines of “if your goals don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough.” Well, consider us scared. In 2025, Mike and I travelled to New Zealand and achieved one of the most amazing bucket list items a big game hunter could dream: a red stag with a bow. But now what? What happens AFTER you check an item off the bucket list? Other than for the majesty of having bucket list items that may never be achieved, why should you have a bucket list? And what is the NEXT bit of the bucket list for Mike and Jen? Today’s episode will answer those for you!
Listen to the full episode :
This Week’s Blog Post:
What Lights You Up?
Hi friends! I’m Dr. Jen, and today’s episode of My Life as a Landlord is a little different—it’s about the power of bucket lists. I’m coming to you from the South Island of New Zealand, sitting in a hunting lodge where Mike just fulfilled a decades-long dream of taking a red stag with his bow. That’s been on his bucket list for as long as I’ve known him. This episode is all about asking yourself: What lights you up? What dreams do you hold that you haven’t taken action on yet? Let’s talk about how to discover those dreams—and make them happen.
Big Dreams Are Often Just a Plane Ticket Away
One of the biggest mindset shifts I’ve had is realizing that many so-called "bucket list items" are closer than we think. When people hear we live on Maui, they say, “Oh, I’d love to go to Maui someday.” And my response is always: “It’s just a plane ticket.” That doesn’t mean money and time off aren’t real challenges, but the emotional weight we put on these dreams often makes them feel more out of reach than they really are. If you’re clear about your why, you’ll start to find the how.
My Bucket List and Mike’s Too
Mike’s red stag hunt in New Zealand? Check. A dream that was twenty years in the making. For me, I’ve had a few life-changing bucket list moments too—like seeing the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum. That one had me in tears. Another dream? I want to go on a world cruise—three to four months long—and I want to become the best international landlord educator on the planet. I even want to win an award that doesn’t exist yet: something like a Nobel Prize for housing. Because why not dream big?
How to Create Your Own List
If you’re wondering how to start building your own bucket list, start by paying attention to what lights you up. Read books like Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. Make a “magic whiteboard” with specific, emotionally charged goals. Don’t just say you want to travel—name the place, the experience, the feeling you’re chasing. And yes, your list will change. Some dreams will fade, others will emerge. That’s part of the journey.
No Regrets—Just Action
The biggest regret people express at the end of their lives isn’t about money. It’s about missed opportunities. About things they didn’t do. And here’s what I’ve learned through real estate: if you build financial and lifestyle freedom, your bucket list becomes not just possible—but probable. This podcast, this business, and this lifestyle all came from a deep desire to say yes to what lights me up. I hope you’ll do the same.
Today I’m recording from Amāori, New Zealand. Why? Because real estate takes you places. Where do you want real estate to take you? Join me next week for Episode 138 where we’ll talk about how tenants, landlords, and developers play chess—or checkers—when the world throws curveballs. See you then!