Bucket List 101

Whether it’s losing a few extra pounds before bikini season, or making a point of always holding the door for someone else, most people have at least one personal goal for the upcoming year. But as the commitment to New Year resolutions fades quickly into the bitter cold of February and March, sticking to them isn’t always easy.

Here are a few tips from the experts on formulating those bucket list items that can too often seem more like a chore than fuel for ambition. Good luck, and Happy New Year!

Change your mindset

Karen Amster Young, author of “The 52 Weeks,” said when she is compiling her bucket list for the year, understanding the list is more about personal gain than obligation is key.

“It should never be, ‘Oh, I have to do this,’” she said. “Some of the things were more ambitious than others, like rock climbing or hang gliding. But, like, one of my goals for a week was smiling more, because I knew I was being a bitch,” she laughed.

Write it down

It’s one thing to have a mental list of goals, but putting a pen to paper, or fingers to a keyboard, makes it more concrete. Career counselor and executive coach Roy Cohen said vision boards—posters, or cork boards filled with photos and cut-out words as inspiration—can be another good way to hone in on an end goal. “I don’t use vision boards, but a lot of my clients do,” he said. “It’s different for every person, but having a physical list, or something to go off of, is helpful.”

Hold yourself

accountable

Ms. Young suggests putting a date on a calendar as a reminder that you’ve committed to experience something, and owe it to yourself to follow through.

Take it slowly

Mr. Cohen recommends tackling a list of goals in “baby steps” to avoid feeling overwhelmed. “What works for me doesn’t work for everyone,” he said, “but what I specifically encourage people to do is a little bit every day, and to know that they’re working toward accomplishing a larger goal. Especially when it pertains to your career, be clear on the big goal, so you can systematically try to do one little thing each day to build up to it.”