Get Your Bucket List Done!

This is my last blog post of 2021 and I wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and/or a Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year. Today I veer off from my usual financial fare to potentially provide you impetus for a New Years resolution; creating and crossing items off on your bucket list.

In 2010, after I watched the movie the Bucket List starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, I created my own bucket list. Over the years I have occasionally written about some of the larger bucket list items I have been fortunate enough to cross off my list from playing golf at Pebble Beach to my safari to Africa. I have also discussed some of the smaller bucket list items I crossed off my list such as going to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and attempting to learn how to play the guitar (ended up with tennis elbow) and writing my book Let’s Get Blunt About Your Financial Affairs.

What has been crucial in working through my bucket list was writing down my actual list and talking about the list often to others which functioned as a catalyst to actually move forward on many of these items. I discuss this in greater detail below.

My firm BDO Canada LLP (until December 31st when I officially retire) is celebrating its 100 birthday this year an impressive milestone for any company. BDO was also recently selected as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for 2022. One of the reasons BDO was selected as a top employer was for the various programs it has implemented in respect of mental health. This priority was reinforced during a recent firm-wide webcast when BDO had Ben Nemtin speak to everyone about mental health and the use of bucket lists.

Wikipedia states that Ben was “the creator, executive producer and cast member of the MTV series The Buried Life”. He also is” co-author of the book What Do You Want To Do Before You Die?, which entered The New York Times Best Seller list”. Today I am going to discuss how Ben used a bucket list/buried list to not only accomplish the above producing and writing achievements, but even more importantly, how he payed forward his accomplishments to help others.

During his BDO presentation, Ben started his talk by discussing the depression and anxiety he had in part due to the pressures of being a member of the Canadian Under 19 National rugby team. He told us how his friends got him out of the house and how he and his friends (again per Wikipedia) eventually ended “up on a two-week road trip with a camera and a borrowed RV to complete a list of "100 things to do before you die." Along their journey, they asked people the question, "What do you want to do before you die?" For each item they accomplished on their list, they helped a complete stranger do something on their own list”.

If you have ten minutes, watch this inspiring Ted Talk by Ben, which includes the key steps to creating and crossing items off your Bucket List and a great story how he and his friends payed it forward to help someone in an incredible way.

Here are Ben’s six key steps:

1. What is important to you – listen to your heart and stop and think about what you really want to do

2. Write down your list – as I note above, it is so important to put your thoughts to paper

3. Talk about your list – if you don’t talk about it, you won’t accomplish it yourself and no one is going to help you (Ben notes many people help you accomplish your list when they hear about your items)

4. Be persistent – for bucket list items that may note be easy to accomplish, be persistent, you may be surprised what you can accomplish - no may mean not now

5. Be audacious – have some items that are not mainstream and go for them

6. Help others – Ben and his friends have done some incredible things for others (as noted in the Ted Talk).

While on YouTube you can find many other great talks on bucket lists, buried lists, life lists etc. Many of these talks are ways for you to reconnect with your true values and what you are enthusiastic about and to live life as your “true self”. So, whatever you want to call it, a bucket list is a wonderful way to not only create a list about things you want to do and accomplish, but it may be a means to self exploration. Anyways, I will get off my soap box/bucket and let you decide for yourself whether creating and/or acting on a bucket list is a worthwhile New Year's resolution for you.

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The Balance between Enjoying your Life and Frugality

As I discussed in my “Old and not Thrifty” post on Monday, I don’t care if I save two dollars shopping at Wal-Mart. That is not to say I do not think about what I spend my money on, but once I decide to spend, I am not frugal.

For those who are frugal, there is no debate from me that you definitely save a greater percentage of your earnings than The Blunt Bean Counter. However, my sermon for today is that your frugality must not be a means to itself, but that the monetary benefits you accumulate by being frugal should at least in part, be utilized to enhance your life experience.

The discussion in this blog post is only relevant to people who have savings and are not frugal out of necessity. For the purposes of this post I am lumping spending avoidance with frugality, although they are not necessarily one in the same. For example, many years ago, at a firm I used to work at, a client’s investment advisor believed in fully leveraging this client's portfolio's so that they had the maximum exposure to the equity markets. The client took this leverage philosophy to the extreme, such that he had no money to spend because his cash flow was restricted as result of his debt obligations. This was not frugality, it was actually stupidity; he was not enjoying his life because he was not spending money because he had to avoid spending.

Whether you are not spending money because of frugality or because you have choked off your cash flow as in the example above, be aware that you are postponing the time to enjoy your life. In the case above, the client’s marriage had tremendous tension as his spouse did not agree with the philosophy of leveraging when it impacted her desire for going out for dinners and travel and enjoyment of her life.

At this point, this blog requires a connector. My personal connector is having a father die in his early fifties. My view on life is always impacted by this event because whenever I say this purchase or that vacation can wait for another day, I stop and say to myself, that that day may not come. I am not being morose or by any means saying overspend today and disregard your future; I aggressively and continuously try to build my RSSP. I am just saying balance your today and your tomorrow. Don’t deprive yourself, because you may not have tomorrow to enjoy the financial benefits of your frugality and savings, whether because of health issues or worse.

As I suggested in the second part of my blog Sign That Will, you should consider creating a bucket list to give your frugality some purpose and balance. This year I crossed off one of my bucket list items, Pebble Beach. The cost was excessive, but I did not care, it was an awesome experience.

For what it is worth, my suggestion is that you create a bucket list of things you really want to do during your lifetime and try and build in actual time frames to cross the items off your list. Use your frugality or savings ability to specifically save for a bucket item and thus, leverage your behaviour and financial philosophy while gaining some personal life balance. Don't just save for tomorrow, save for today!

The blogs posted on The Blunt Bean Counter provide information of a general nature. These posts should not be considered specific advice; as each reader's personal financial situation is unique and fact specific. Please contact a professional advisor prior to implementing or acting upon any of the information contained in one of the blogs.

Pebble Beach Golf- A worthy bucket list item

In my July 20th blog “One-item to shortly be crossed off my bucket list-Pebble Beach” I mentioned that I would be golfing at the famed Pebble Beach and Spanish Bay golf courses. This blog details these games, so if you are not into golf you may want to hit the escape button.

The first decision I needed to make in regard to this golf outing, was whether to stay at Pebble Beach, Spanish Bay, or a local hotel. Both these resorts are beautiful, but extremely pricey. However, if you stay, you are guaranteed a tee time. My friend Harvey and I decided we would splurge and stay at Spanish Bay, as the last thing we wanted was to arrive and not get a tee time.

Our second decision was whether to hire a caddy. We decided on a caddy as Harvey and I wanted to get the true feel of the course by walking and we wanted to have time to take pictures. We were provided one caddy for both of us. To our distress, he took our clubs from our bags, placed them in lighter Pebble Beach golf bags, and left most of our golf balls behind. We figured we would need many balls, however Michael, our caddy, said we wouldn’t; this was just the first of many correct calls Michael made that day. Michael’s reads and calls on many putts Harvey and I initially misread proved invaluable and saved us several strokes.

As a 12 handicap golfer (or at least a 12 handicap under my weekend rules), my goal for Pebble Beach was to shoot below 90 and birdie one hole. We decided to play the gold golf tees, which are 6450 yards. Harvey and I figured between the wind and the difficulty of the course, the gold tees would be challenge enough.

Harvey hit a great first drive, but I was so amped up to play that I had first hole jitters and mis-hit my first tee shot. Luckily I hit a great second shot and was able to scramble to a bogey on the first hole. I calmed down on the second hole; a short 460 yard par 5. I am a long hitter and I hit two long shots, such that I was just off the green in two. I then two putted to achieve my first goal, a birdie at Pebble Beach. To my amazement, I then birdied the 3rd hole, thanks to a great putt read by Michael. By the end of the fifth hole I was even par. I could not believe it. Michael, however, put me in my place quickly when he noted that Bing Crosby always said you better score very well on the first 5 holes, because after that the course will get you.

Holes 6 through 10 are the reason I have always wanted to play Pebble Beach. They run along the Pacific, with the surf crashing against the rocky outcroppings. They also have cliffs, which are what really drew me to Pebble. I always remember watching Tiger Woods with the TV camera behind him looking up this huge cliff on the sixth hole and having to hit over it. That cliff will now give me nightmares forever.

The 6th hole is a par 5 and I hit a very long drive down the right side. When I approached my ball I realized I was now facing the same shot Tiger had faced. Michael, who at this point had a feel for my game, said “take a 3 wood and hit it over the cliff to the right and you will probably hit the green.” I only saw cliff. I said no way because I did not trust my 3 wood to hit over the cliff and I wanted to play it safe and keep my score intact. I decided to hit my five iron, hopefully to within 50-70 yards of the green. However, that cliff just kept staring back at me and I was psyched out. I tried to take a nice easy swing and not be fazed by the cliff, however, I stopped my swing and watched in horror as my shot bounced off the cliff and dropped what seemed like 500 yards into the Pacific Ocean. I was dejected and Michael gave me a “you should have listened to me look,” however, I saved a double bogey.

The dreaded cliff

The next hole is the famous 7th hole. It is only a 100 yard par 3. I am told it often plays at 100 yards even for the US Open. From an elevated tee you hit straight out toward the Pacific Ocean, with nothing in the background, trying to account for the wind. I took out my 56 degree wedge and swung easily hitting a nice high arcing shot I expected to land in the middle of the green. However, the wind had other ideas and it rolled over the back of the green clinging to life in the rough on a downhill slope. With another double bogey, I was quickly four over.

7th hole-Par 3

Wikipedia describes the 8th hole as follows: “The long par 4 runs alongside the 6th hole leaving the peninsula and heading back toward the coastline. A dogleg right, the ocean is a constant companion along the entire right side of the hole. The landing area is extremely generous in width, but a long straight drive could leave the fairway and enter an inlet of the sea. Because the landing area is elevated on a cliff above the green, players have a good view of the small landing target a mid to long iron away. Jack Nicklaus has called this his favourite approach shot in all of golf.”

This hole was as described and the approach shot was as amazing as you’d expect given that it’s Nicklaus’s favourite. I hit a long drive and a seven iron to the left of the green and took a bogey.

I finished with a 42 after nine holes and I was pleased.

The tenth hole is the last along the coast until the 17th and 18th. I managed to par the tenth and the eleventh, but double bogeyed the 12th.hole. My first shot was slightly to the right of the green and Michael told me to use a lob wedge rather than a small bump and run and I ended up hitting a tree branch since my wedge got up so quickly. Michael apologized saying he did not think I could get my wedge so high so quick, but Michael saved me far more strokes than he cost me, so I could live with one piece of bad advice.

Michael told us that Ben Hogan called the 13th “the longest shortest par 4” and that we were playing the US Open tees. The hole is uphill into a vicious wind. Ben knew what he was talking about as I took another double bogey hitting into the hurricane.

I then took my third double bogey in a row on the 14th hole. It’s a 530 yard par 5, the number one handicap hole, and another hole that had me hitting into the wind.

Yes, that is me

I settled down with a couple bogeys and then parred out on the 17th and 18th. The 18th was a great looking hole down the coast line.

I ended up shooting 86, achieving my goal of shooting less than 90 and exceeding my birdie goal by achieving the back to back birdies on the 2nd and 3rd holes.

All in all it was an awesome day and a great experience, which, to me, was worth the cost and a worthy bucket list item.

The next day we played Spanish Bay. In talking to the starter, we were told that the best pro score ever at Spanish Bay was supposedly 68 and that it is considered a far tougher course than Pebble. We were paired with a husband and wife team for this round and quickly realized the wife had no idea how to play golf and should never have been playing on a course of this calibre. When we complained at the conclusion of the round we were told this is the number one complaint at the Pebble Beach courses; however, since they are public courses they cannot do anything about it. Personally, I am not sure why they cannot implement a minimum handicap requirement, but I digress.

I will not go into detail about Spanish Bay other than to say it lived up to the starter’s billing. The fairways were tight, the greens extremely tough to read and, most importantly, the wind at Spanish Bay made the wind at Pebble seem like a breeze.

1st hole at Spanish Bay

I shot 96 at Spanish Bay and actually hit the ball very well most of the round. I only parred the tenth and twelfth holes. I think my experience at the 17th hole par 4 best exemplifies Spanish Bay. I was 150 yards out after my drive on this hole and would usually use a 9 iron. Due to the wind I hit a six iron. I hit the ball as well as I could hit it and it still just made it to the fringe. The wind was a 4 club wind; I should have used a 5 iron instead of a 9 iron. I don’t know how you adjust to such a wind.

Anyways, despite the poor playing partner and my poor score, I really enjoyed playing Spanish Bay.

In the end, it was a golf trip to remember. My next bucket list items are more vacation oriented, but somewhere down the line, I intend to cross my second golf course off my bucket list, that being St. Andrews in Scotland.

The blogs posted on The Blunt Bean Counter provide information of a general nature. These posts should not be considered specific advice; as each reader's personal financial situation is unique and fact specific. Please contact a professional advisor prior to implementing or acting upon any of the information contained in one of the blogs.

One item to shortly be crossed off my bucket list- Pebble Beach

The excessive heat in Toronto has dried out my brain, so today I will take a lighter approach to my blog, with no complicated income tax or business issues.

In my November 25, 2010 blog, titled, Sign that will, I discussed the importance of not only updating your will, but ensuring any changes to your will are finalized and signed. I followed the will discussion with a mini-blog about creating a bucket list. As my father died young, I am very cognizant about ensuring I do the things I want to do in life, before it is too late.

I noted in the above blog that amongst the items on my bucket list is to play golf at Pebble Beach in California and St. Andrews in Scotland, two of the most noted golf courses in the world. I have just booked Pebble Beach for an early fall game with my golf buddies. I am really looking forward to the challenge of playing Pebble Beach and the surrounding scenery. I will also be playing The Links at Spanish Bay, not a bad little course on its own.

I really feel strongly that everyone should create their own bucket list and try to achieve and undertake as many items as possible on their list.

Fore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The blogs posted on The Blunt Bean Counter provide information of a general nature. These posts should not be considered specific advice; as each reader's personal financial situation is unique and fact specific. Please contact a professional advisor prior to implementing or acting upon any of the information contained in one of the blogs.