Positive Development: A Psychology Bucket List for Personal Growth

This assignment presents a comprehensive bucket list created by a student, outlining various activities and goals aimed at fostering positive social, physical, and cognitive development. The list encompasses a wide range of actions, from improving communication skills through social interaction and building healthy relationships to cultivating self-esteem, engaging in meaningful conversations, and developing artistic abilities. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including prioritizing reading, engaging in play, and practicing mindfulness through activities like yoga and meditation. The bucket list also includes aspirations for personal growth, such as learning new skills, exploring new experiences, and contributing to society through acts of kindness, volunteering, and philanthropy. The student aims to create a well-rounded approach to personal development, emphasizing emotional stability, positive thinking, and a commitment to continuous learning and self-improvement. The list also includes activities to improve physical and mental health such as exercise, and spending time in nature, as well as, maintaining a balanced diet.

Running Head: BUCKET LIST FOR POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Bucket List for Positive Development
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1BUCKET LIST FOR POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Positive physical and social development, including cognitive development, is vital
for every individual who intends on leading a healthy and happy existence (Dadvand et al.,
2015). The following are the things on my bucket list that I wish to do as much as possible, in
order to ensure positive social, physical and cognitive development. I wish to -
1. To interact as much as others as this improves communication skills (Peterson 2017)
2. To offer physical affection to near and dear ones, especially when communicating
with the young and the elderly, to establish healthy relationships (Astley 2018)
3. To provide and engage in stable relationships, that are characterized by commitment,
dependability and steadfastness in order to imbibe the same values (Astley 2018)
4. To maintain a home that is safe and healthy at all times to feel emotionally secure
when in it (Astley 2018)
5. To develop and foster a strong sense of self esteem through not letting others do my
work or chores (Peterson 2017)
6. To engage in meaningful conversations on a regular basis as this helps in personal
development (Parks, 2018)
7. To learn an instrument and make music with it as this fosters artistic abilities (Parks,
2018)
8. To prioritize reading habits and become a voracious reader to improve reading and
concentration skills (Peterson, 2015)
9. To engage in play activities as much as possible, as this encourages brain
development in addition to physical development (Holt, 2016).
10. To be a caring and compassionate individual who is capable of looking after
dependents, or those who are in need by helping out senior family members at home
(Saxe, 2015)

2BUCKET LIST FOR POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT
11. To increase concentration by engaging in activities like Yoga and meditation (Saxe,
2015)
12. To get as much as sleep as possible and whenever possible, given that sleep plays a
vital role in recharging the functions of the brain (Parks, 2018)
13. To read together to learn the spirit of collaboration and cooperation (Peterson, 2017)
14. To stay away from unhealthy food as this helps in cultivating self discipline (Holt,
2016)
15. To take singing lessons, as this can stimulate the mind and the body as much as
physical exercise can (Holt, 2016).
16. To have an open door policy of communication so that people feel encouraged to
interact (Peterson, 2017).
17. To engage in activity based learning activities, like solving puzzles and doing
mathematical work from time to time as this improves concentration skills (Holt,
2016)
18. To avoid spending too much time on the internet and engaging in virtual interactions
as this fosters a sense of isolation (Saxe, 2015)
19. To spend more time out in the open, in the midst of nature since it soothes the nerves
and improves the mental abilities (Dadvand et al., 2015).
20. To exercise on a regular basis to keep the mind and the body healthy (Holt, 20160
21. To go on a holiday every once in awhile as this gives the scope to explore new places
and get to know new people (Saxe, 2015).
22. To listen to music of a calming nature rather than music that is loud and distracting as
the latter can be harmful for the brain (Peterson, 2017)
23. To go for long walks in the early hours of the morning and breathe in the fresh
morning air to improve concentration abilities (Holt, 2016)

3BUCKET LIST FOR POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT
24. To avoid arguing with others as this results in a loss of physical energy (Parks, 20180
25. To listen with care and concentration when being spoken to by others as this helps in
learning to understand others (Parks, 2018)
26. To try and catch butterflies and appreciate the creation of nature as this fosters a sense
of aesthetics (Dadvand et al., 2015)
27. To canoeing and learn how to be comfortable on the water as this can help in
developing a sense of balance ( Saxe, 2015)
28. To act in plays, as dramatic activity can foster and develop abstract thinking
29. To cook something for myself every now and then as this can show myself that I
appreciate who I am (Peterson, 2017).
30. To buy something for myself with my own money, giving me the confidence that I
need to be a positive and happy human being (Siner & Small, 2015)
31. To hand feed wild birds and learn how to respect nature (Dadvand et al., 2015).
32. To teach younger children some basic reading skills, improving my own skills in the
bargain (Saxe, 2016)
33. To spend night with friends for improving self esteem (Parks, 2018)
34. To create a lemonade stand and sell lemonade, just to see and learn what the process
of selling is like (Peterson, 2017)
35. To ride a roller coaster and learn how to face my fears (Holt, 2016)
36. To star gaze every once in awhile, just to get a glimpse of how big the universe can
really be (Dadvand et al., 2015)
37. To get the hair cut that I want to improve self esteem (Siner & Small, 2015)
38. To get a pen pal, just so to know what it is like to engage with other people in other
parts of the world (Zdor et al., 2018)

4BUCKET LIST FOR POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT
39. To slide down waterslides in an amusement part to understand what it is like to
overcome a challenge (Holt, 2016)
40. To blow bubbles and develop some fine motor skills (Holt, 2016)
41. To learn how to juggle as this helps in eye and hand coordination (Siner & Small,
2015)
42. To swim with dolphins and just feel happy about it (Siner & Small, 2015)
43. To ride carousels in order to enjoy the old world feeling about it (Peterson, 2017)
44. To stand up to a person when I am being bullied, just so that I can increase my self
esteem and learn to be assertive (Saxe, 2015)
45. To go treasure hunting in order to acquire the skills that are needed to discover or find
something out, no matter how deeply hidden it is (Siner & Small, 2015)
46. To make an attempt at building a sand castle as this is something that encourages
creativity (Holt, 2016)
47. To try and locate the shapes that are made in the clouds as this is hugely stress
relieving (Zdor et al., 2018)
48. To learn how to cartwheel no matter how difficult this is, as it is good exercise and an
effective form of strength training (Holt, 2016).
49. To go ice skating with the family as this can also be quite a stress busting experience
(Parks, 2018)
50. To travel abroad as much as I can in order to expand my horizons and learn about
other cultures (Peterson, 2017)
51. To play with dough every once in awhile as this can help in improving motor skills
(Zdor et al., 2018)
52. To attend costume parties every once in awhile as donning a costume establishes a
sense of self (Bjorklund & Causey, 2017).

5BUCKET LIST FOR POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT
53. To plant trees and contribute to environmental wellbeing (Dadvand et al., 2015)
54. To create a milk moustache and laugh about it with friends thus establishing a sense
of humor (Zdor et al., 2015)
55. To wear makeup and see the new me in the mirror, identifying as a different looking
person than I am without makeup (Zdor et al., 2015)
56. To go straw berry picking and learn how to pick beautiful things out from the
wilderness (Dadvand et al., 2015).
57. To try finger painting and foster creativity (Parks, 2018)
58. To feed animals in a park or at the zoo and develop compassion for them (Saxe, 2015)
59. To feed fish and observe their quick movements in the water, improving observation
skills in the bargain (Holt, 2016)
60. To go bird watching and learn about the different species of birds there are (Dadvand
et al., 2015).
61. To learn something as complex as tying and untying knots as this helps in learning
how to solve problems (Saxe, 2015)
62. To walk barefoot in the grass and get a feel of nature (Dadvand et al. 2015).
63. To collect things, as this helps in fostering organization and patience (Peterson, 2017)
64. To bake bread as this also helps in developing patience (Astley, 2018)
65. To wear a cape and improve my sense of self direction (Zdor et al., 2018)
66. To learn a foreign language as this can help in fostering cognitive and thinking
abilities (Saxe, 2015)
67. To get crafty and try inventing things when attending an arts and craft lesson, learning
how to be creative in the bargain (Parks, 2018)
68. To attend county fairs with family and grow closer to them while learning about local
culture at the same time (Saxe, 2015)

6BUCKET LIST FOR POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT
69. To allow myself to get attracted to other people as this is good for emotional
development (Astley, 2018).
70. To think positively by not crying or feeling depressed in the event of failure (Siner &
Small, 2015)
71. To learn how to be passionate by interacting more with members of the opposite sex
(Holt, 2016)
72. To learn graciousness by expressing gratitude when accepting anything from others
(Siner & Small, 2015)
73. To keep good company as this fosters emotional stability (Saxe, 2015)
74. To believe in myself and my abilities no matter how well or how badly I am doing in
life (Astley, 2018)
75. To listen to success stories as this can instill inspiration and confidence (Astley, 2018)
76. To see and learn about how people struggle and survive odds in the everyday, thus
learning and being inspired by this (Parks, 2018)
77. To attending counseling sessions to reach out for social support as and when needed
(Peterson, 2017)
78. To carry out fund raising campaigns in order to learn philanthropy and support those
who are in need (Saxe, 2015)
79. To donate towards charities and meaningful causes and learn the act of giving (Astley,
2018)
80. To work in an old age home to help out vulnerable people (Astley, 2018)
81. To volunteer in an orphanage in order to learn how to engage with children who have
no one to look after them and develop a sense of compassion (Zdor et al., 2018)
82. To follow a balanced diet and maintain good health for the most part (Parks, 2018)
83. To pray regularly to thank God for the life he has given me (Astley, 2018)

7BUCKET LIST FOR POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT
84. To attend religious ceremonies to understand what worship is all about (Peterson,
2017)
85. To wake up every day and meditate for five or ten minutes to connect with my inner
self (Holt, 2016)
86. To accept wrongdoings on the part of others as a means to learn how to respect others
(Parks, 2018)
87. To respect elders by doing what they tell me to do for them (Saxe, 2015)
88. To be responsible towards children by not always indulging them when they want it
(Zdor et al., 2018)
89. To teach people how to be kind and compassionate by encouraging them to take part
in social work (Siner & Small, 2015)
90. To give back to society by aiding non-profit organizations in development activities
(Freund & Gill, 2018)
91. To go to a fitness center and work out when not in good shape physically. Work out
sessions help in body improvement and confidence building at the same time (Holt,
2016).
92. To listen to an argument without getting provoked as this teaches patience and
tolerance (Peterson, 2017)
93. To take part in debates regularly to learn how to argue with logic and reason
94. To respect people I am working for by not arguing back with them (Siner & Small,
2015)
95. To be committed to the tasks that I am assigned to do by meeting deadlines (Freund &
Gill, 2018).
96. To show dedication when doing any professional or personal work as this establishes
inner stability (Trawick-Smith & Smith, 2015)

8BUCKET LIST FOR POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT
97. To travel by train in order to witness the beautiful landscape passing and appreciate
nature’s beauty (Dadvand et al., 2015).
98. To go boating and learn how exciting it can be to be on water while learning about
balance at the same time (Holt, 2016)
99. To go fishing and learn how to use concentration and good strategy in getting some
good catch (Trawick-Smith & Smith, 2015)
100. To go running everyday to burn calories, feel exhilarated and in control of my
life and maintain good physical and mental health (Holt, 2016).

9BUCKET LIST FOR POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT
References and Bibliography
Astley, J. (2018). The Naming of Parts: Faith, Formation, Development and Education.
In Christian Faith, Formation and Education (pp. 13-27). Palgrave Macmillan,
Cham.
Bjorklund, D. F., & Causey, K. B. (2017). Children's thinking: Cognitive development
and individual differences. Sage Publications.
Dadvand, P., Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J., Esnaola, M., Forns, J., Basagaña, X., Alvarez-
Pedrerol, M., ... & Jerrett, M. (2015). Green spaces and cognitive development in
primary schoolchildren. Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, 112(26), 7937-7942.
Freund, R. R., & Gill, C. S. (2018). Understanding the Development of Spirituality,
Religion, and Faith in the Client’s Life. In Spirituality and Religion in
Counseling (pp. 73-85). Routledge
Holt, N. L. (Ed.). (2016). Positive youth development through sport. Routledge.
Parks, S. D. (2018). Faith Development. The Oxford Handbook of Religion and American
Education, 103
Petersen, A. (2017). Brain maturation and cognitive development: Comparative and
cross-cultural perspectives. Routledge
Saxe, G. B. (2015). Culture and cognitive development: Studies in mathematical
understanding. Psychology Press

10BUCKET LIST FOR POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Siner, S., & Small, J. L. (2015). The evolution of spiritual and faith development
theories. Making meaning: Embracing spirituality, faith, religion and life purpose
in student affairs, 18-36.
Sunyer, J., Esnaola, M., Alvarez-Pedrerol, M., Forns, J., Rivas, I., López-Vicente, M., ...
& Viana, M. (2015). Association between traffic-related air pollution in schools
and cognitive development in primary school children: a prospective cohort
study. PLoS medicine, 12(3), e1001792
Trawick-Smith, J. W., & Smith, T. (2014). Early childhood development: A multicultural
perspective. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Zdor, R., Henson, S. M., Murray, M., Navia, B., Wells, R., & Goodwin, T. (2018).
Fostering Student Faith Development and Integration across the Curriculum: The
Andrews University Biology Department Experience