Positive Development Essay: Bucket List For Growth.

1. If you don’t know what a bucket list is, look it up. 
2. Create your own personal bucket list that is at least 100 items long.
3. Within the list, make sure you have at least 10 things promoting positive development in each domain. In other words, 10 things that will contribute positively to your physical development, 10 things that will contribute positively to your cognitive development, 10 things that will contribute positively to your social development, and 10 things that will contribute positively to your personality/emotional development. 

Interact with others to improve communication skills

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)

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 

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).

Offer physical affection to establish healthy relationships

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)

24. To avoid arguing with others as this results in a loss of physical energy (Parks, 2018)

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)27To 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 thinking29To 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)

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)

Provide and engage in stable relationships to imbibe values

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).

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)

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)

Maintain a safe and healthy home for emotional security

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. o 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)

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)

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).

References 

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

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