Bucket lists are popular and provide us the opportunity to not only put our dreams to paper but to set up an intention to take action and live the lives of our dreams. You could be in that "soft girl era," where your bucket list is all about ease and self-reflection, or in a glow-up era, where it's all about bucket-list activities that lay the building blocks of financial freedom by getting to the bag in all the ways you can. (And y'all know we love a good travel bucket list. A recent study shows that 95% of Americans have bucket lists for places they want to see and things they want to do before they die.)
Well, what about a career bucket list? We spend the most time at work, put our passions and efforts into our careers, and our jobs pay the bills, so they are a significant part of our life's journey. Here are a few career bucket list ideas to help you find fulfillment, fun, adventure, and advancement in whatever you professionally choose to pursue.
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1. Take a month, quarter, or year off for funemployment.
Funemployment is basically similar to a sabbatical (if you want to keep your job but put it on pause), or it can be a total I-quit-and-I'm-not-going-to-work-anywhere-for-a-while moment.
Save up that lump sum (or create a plan for funding your journey while being a full-time unemployed bae, on purpose) and do all the things you'd do if you "only had the time." It could be traveling America's West Coast or trekking through the cities of Ghana. It could be investing in a small business. It could be starting one. It could be doing absolutely nothing at all and taking the time for silence, self-reflection, and self-care.
This period can help you rejuvenate, appreciate the job you have (if it's indeed a sabbatical), or enlighten you to new ideas for other career passions and goals you want to pursue.
2. Invest in a coach, certification or masterclass.
It's always a good idea to be a lifelong learner, especially with the fast pace of change across industries. Plus, this is a great opportunity to widen your network, learn something new that you can get paid more to use at your current job, or serve others via a cause you're passionate about.
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3. Speak at or host an event of empowerment or career development.
And no, this isn't about creating yet another superficial "networking" event where everyone just shows up dressed to the nines but does little to no connecting whatsoever. Get your name out there, volunteer, or market yourself to be paid to speak at or host events that actually build impact, that talk about subjects you're actually an expert on, or that you can add your very-much-needed two cents to when it comes to your work and life experiences.
4. Negotiate for double the salary you're making right now.
I know, I know. Depending on how much you make, your level of experience or education, or the industry you're in, this might seem ludicrous, but at the very least, this will provide a lesson in confidence, communication, and knowledge of your worth. When was the last time you checked the market value of what you actually offer to a company? Yeah, if it's been years, you need to strategically go to the powers that be, put together a proposal, practice what you'll say with a trusted mentor or colleague (at another company within your industry), and make this power move.
If you can't do this, per se, find other ways to fill the gap in your take-home pay, such as a side hustle or even a search for a completely different position at a totally different company.
5. Work remote twice per month or more.
Whether you have to request this or you just have the power to do it. See what it's like and find ways to maximize systems and technology to save time and make doing your job a bit easier. There are even nurses and doctors who hardly ever step foot in a lab, hospital room, or office, so think about your options and try this out.
For some of us, constantly fighting with traffic, being in cold offices all day, or dealing with face-to-face interactions that make you question your sanity is just not a good fit, so remote work might be the name of the self-care game when it comes to your career longevity and advancement.
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6. Learn a foreign language and speak it fluently.
There's all this talk about being a digital nomad and working out of Thailand, France, or Mexico, but that language barrier can be a stressful---but avoidable---crook in the back of your dreams of working abroad. Learn that language, sis (or at least get the basics down) and start really getting engrossed in the culture. If you're working for a corporation that has overseas locations and you want that transfer, this can add a lot to your resume.
If you want to transition to a different aspect of your industry, such as education, PR, or financial services, this is essential because while many of us lean on the fact that in many countries, when business is being handled, English is an option, you're truly a boss when you can speak Mandarin to close that deal in China.
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xoNecole sat down with Luke James to talk about his latest series and all the complexity surrounding it—from the challenges taking on this out-of-the-box role to the show's depiction of the perplexing history of the relationship between Black Americans and police. When describing the opportunity to bring Edmund's character to life, Luke was overjoyed to show the audience yet another level of his masterful acting talents.
"It was like bathing in the sun," he said. "I was like, thank you! Another opportunity for me to be great—for me to expand my territory. I'm just elated to be a part of it and to see myself in a different light, something I didn't think I could do." He continued, "There are parts of you that says, 'Go for it because this is what you do.' But then also that's why it's a challenge because you're like, 'um, I don't know if I'm as free as I need to be to be able to do this.' Little Marvin just created such a safe space for me to be able to do this, and I'm grateful for everything I've been able to do to lead to this."
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Them: The Scare, like the first season, shines a light on the plight of Black Americans in the United States. This time, the story is taking place in the 1990s, at the height of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. While the series presents many underlying themes, one that stands out is Black people and the complicated relationship with the police. "For the audience, I think it sets the tone for the era that we're in and the amount of chaos that's in the air in Los Angeles and around the country from this heinous incident. And I say it just sets the tone of the anxiety and anxiousness that everybody is feeling in their own households."
James has been a longtime advocate against police brutality himself. He has even featured Elijah McClain, the 23-year-old Colorado man who died after being forcibly detained by officers, as his Instagram avatar for the past five years. So, as you can imagine, this script was close to his heart. "Elijah was a soft-loving oddball. Different than anyone but loving and a musical genius. He was just open and wanted to be loved and seen."
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Luke continued, "His life was taken from him. I resonate with his spirit and his words...through all the struggle and the pain he still found it in him to say, 'I love you and I forgive you.' And that's who we are as people—to our own detriment sometimes. He's someone I don't want people to forget. I have yet to remove his face from my world because I have yet to let go of his voice, let go of that being [because] there's so many people we have lost in our history that so often get forgotten."
He concluded, "I think that's the importance of such artwork that moves us to think and talk about it. Yes, it's entertaining. We get to come together and be spooked together. But then we come together and we think, 'Damn, Edmund needed someone to talk to. Edmund needed help... a lot [of] things could have been different. Edmund could have been saved.'
Check out the full interview below.
Luke James Talks Ditching Sex Symbol Status For "Them: The Scare", Elijah McClain, & Morewww.youtube.com
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