Reverse Bucketlist (10 Biggest Achievements of My Life So Far)

I know people write bucketlist of things they want to do, or achieve, or complete before the end of the year, the end of their life or in xx number of years. But I thought I would turn this on it’s head and do a list of things I’ve achieved in my life so far that I’m so proud of. I don’t mean to brag, I just thought it would be a really cool idea for myself to see everything all in one place!

If you write one of these be sure to leave me a link, or let me know in the comments some of the things you’re most proud of.

1. Going To Ethiopia – this is something you probably don’t know, but I went to Ethiopia for an entire month in Summer 2013 to do two 10 day treks and a 10 day community project. I went with a company called True Adventure (similar to World Challenge) through my school and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.
2. Getting Into University – I know this is a very stereotypical thing, but I’m still proud of myself for getting here. When I applied for University I was predicted an A/A* in Geography, and A in Art and a B in Music (I can’t compose to save my life) and I was told that Universities wouldn’t let me in to study Music because it was my lowest prediction. But I got all 5 offers, and here I am!
3. Going Abroad Without My Parents – So this year I’ve been to Northern Ireland (which is still part of the UK so not sure if people count this as ‘Abroad’, but I did get on a plane) and Turkey. Kevin and I went alone and to be honest I have loved going abroad together, it makes me feel so adult.
4. Getting Into Private School – I know this is similar to University, but when my brother and I went to take our entry exams for Bedford Modern School back in 2008 I was so nervous because we had to get super high marks to get the scholarships we needed to get in and we did! And I even got an award for my entry exams – so proud!
5. Learning To Swim – I know everyone can swim, sort of, but I mean swim swim. When I was in Lower School we had free swimming lessons, and while both my brothers stopped there, I continued to swim (on my own) after then in my local pool and so I taught myself to swim strongly and it’s my favourite exercise ever!
6. Running 5km in under 30mins – I know this probably isn’t the biggest achievement ever, but to me this was the biggest thing of my life – I’m so unfit, and I could barely run to the end of the road, and I thought I’d never ever be able to run 1km, let alone 5km. It’s things like this that keep me in the gym.
7. Starting My Blog/YouTube – so I started my blog over a year ago, but I then went silent for a few months, then Kevin gave me the confidence to get back into it, and I now love it! I’m super happy with how far I’ve come, and I even include it on my CV -eek!
8. Getting Over Depression – so this will be the first you’ve heard of this – and there will be a blog post to follow – but when my parents broke up (very unexpectedly) and I went through a breakup in my boyfriend relationship at the same time, I spiralled, and I never thought I’d get out of it. But here I am, 4 years later, happy, clear skin, and an open heart!
9. Getting The Lead Role In Oliver (And Continuing Musical Theatre Throughout School) – obviously not Oliver (I’m female…), but I was Nancy in my Year 4 Musical. I know that was MANY years ago, but it was still one of the best experiences of my life. For a very shy child, this was a big deal for me. Plus, I mastered the cockney accent. I continued to get speaking/singing roles throughout my school life and eventually moved into the band pit, and this has massively helped my confidence.
10. Learning To Play The Piano – In year 11 (i.e. 5(ish) years ago) I knew that Music was the only degree for me, but also that I couldn’t play the piano – which is a fairly essential skill for a Music Student. So, I decided to learn the Piano. In a year I was learning my ABRSM Grade 5 Pieces, within 3 years I’d passed my Grade 8 with Merit, and now I’m studying it as my principle instrument getting a solid 2:1 in both my first and second year at University and now getting ready for my 45 minute recital this year! This is the biggest achievement of my life ever

Katie x