I'm doing 100 challenges in four years — my bucket list has taken me across Nottingham and the world
Dan Davison has visited iconic locations and been on amazing adventures
We are so lucky to have so many wonderful locations to see and activities to do here in Nottinghamshire. Dan Davison’s Project Bucket List is all about ticking off items from around the county, as well as across the world.
Dan has set himself the challenge of doing 100 things in four years. He started in January 2024, and has completed 44 of these as of October 2025. He’s delved into why he started this, shared local and international highlights, and explained why he recommends doing something similar.
If you want to tick off items off your Nottingham bucket list and your life bucket list, Dan Davison’s story is sure to inspire. For more local features and guides, subscribe to The Notts Edit to receive our articles in your inbox for free.
How 100 challenges became my life’s biggest experiment
Words and photos by Dan Davison
One night last year, I stood on a hilltop just outside of Mansfield. I held my eye up to the telescope at Sherwood Observatory and saw Saturn’s rings glowing faintly millions of miles away.
I felt like I was 10-years-old again, buzzing with excitement.
This was one of the first things I ticked off in my four-year life experiment. See, I’m completing one hundred bucket list challenges in just four years to change my life. That view of Saturn reminded me that you don’t have to cross oceans to find wonder. Sometimes, it’s just up the road.
And that moment wasn’t a one-off either. I’ve now completed 44 challenges from Project Bucket List, and I have until the end of 2027 to finish them all. Some of my adventures have been big — climbing a glacier on a trip to see the Northern Lights, riding a horse through Monument Valley, while others are small and stubbornly practical.
This year, I learned first aid, and foraged for food around the University of Nottingham. Last year, I learnt how to fix my car, because a garage had quoted me £760 to fix a broken window. I’m trying to work my way to a life that feels deliberate, rather than just accidental.
The rules that changed everything
Everybody seems to have a bucket list. Trust me, I speak to a lot of people about it. Usually, it’s this loose catalogue of dreams that people say they’ll get around to one day. Mine is only working because I treated it like a contract. I gave myself four years, a fixed timeline. I made each goal specific and measurable: not “get fit,” but “walk a marathon”; not “be more creative,” but “learn to draw people.”
I’ve ended up creating this real firm framework about how to get out of a rut and make dreams happen. Without rules, a list is just daydreams. With rules, it’s a transformation.
Balance has been really important, too. I didn’t want 100 entries that were all adrenaline-filled adventures. My list ranges from climbing the UK’s three peaks to sorting my pension. Supposedly, Federico Fellini once said, “You have to live spherically — in many directions.” That became my blueprint.
Nottingham as the lab
Not all the change happened on glaciers or desert plateaus. In fact, many of the most impactful shifts happened right here in Nottingham. I planted 100 trees with Friends of Colwick Woods (friendsofcolwickwoods.co.uk), knowing that decades from now they’ll be homes for birds and other critters.
I meditated at the Nottingham Buddhist Centre (nottinghambuddhistcentre.org), met a welcoming community of beekeepers with the Nottinghamshire Beekeeper’s Association (nottsbees.org.uk), and, of course, saw Saturn’s rings through the telescope at Sherwood Observatory (sherwood-observatory.org.uk). Even familiar parks have now turned into secret treasure hunts once I learned how to forage.
Nottingham has been like a laboratory for this experiment. This city and the wider county are proof that you don’t have to leave home to rediscover excitement in life.
Lessons from the list
One of my big surprises has been how “ordinary” items matter. Fixing that window. Learning CPR. Contributing to a citizen science survey with nothing but a phone and a bit of time on a weekend. They really don’t sound glamorous, but they’ve really helped me rediscover a sense of curiosity about life.
My biggest realisation way back at the start of this project was that nobody is coming to save you. If you want your life to change, you have to start acting on it. Once you stop waiting, you can start building.
What’s next
Fifty-six challenges remain. Some are lofty — learning to fly, somehow, recording a song, climbing Ben Nevis. Others are within touching distance here in Nottingham: I’m hoping to try falconry soon. I’m on the lookout for a good cooking class. I’m hoping to either join or set up a conservation effort. The list isn’t magic on its own, but the mindset of saying “yes” to life has been a game-changer.
A local invitation
If you’re reading this, maybe it’s time to start listing down what you want out of life. Write down five things you’ve always meant to do, then set a deadline. Visit Sherwood Observatory. Plant a tree at Colwick. Try a class in Hockley. The first step doesn’t need to be a glacier. Sometimes, it’s right outside your front door.
Dan Davison is 44 challenges into his 100-item bucket list, which he aims to complete in four years. He is currently writing a book about the project. Follow his journey at dan-davison.com/project-bucket-list.
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