49 Winter Goals for Your Deployment Bucket List

The middle of winter can be a little, well, blah (unless you’re one of those lucky military families who gets to live in a tropical paradise!).

Cold weather.

Rain.

Snow.

Grey clouds.

Weak sunshine.

Not a hint of green around anywhere.

And all of the really fun holidays are over.

Add a deployment, and winter can feel insurmountable and depressing.

I’m not gonna lie: I’m a huge fan of bucket lists as a way to manage deployment. (If you read Jo, My Gosh!, you know that already!) Creating goals (most of which do not have anything to do with the deployment) is a wonderful way to look forward to a time that can be difficult. It’s a lovely way to have your own adventures, set your sights on things that you want to do (hello, self-care), and give you something to talk about when you’re able to write to or speak with your deployed loved one.

Even though you may feel cooped-up indoors and be cursing the grey, grey weather, there’s also something inspiring and magical about the season. Use the things you love about it to create a list of goals that excite you and make you feel motivated to check them off. These ideas can help you get started:

1. Make hot chocolate with whipped cream.
2. Make your own marshmallows.
3. Make hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows.  (You can never have too many mugs of hot chocolate!)
4. Build a snowman.
5. Go sledding.
6. Go ice-skating.
7. Go skiing.
8. Learn how to knit, cross stitch, crochet, or do another warm, snuggly craft.
9. Read under a blanket without worrying about the time.
10. Treat yourself to a pair of new slippers.
11. Have a bonfire.
12. Enjoy an evening in front of a fireplace. (It doesn’t have to be your own!)
13. Make chili.
14. Go on a winter hike.
15. Make a winter-themed care package.
16. Make a deployment scrapbook.
17. Make and bake a cookie recipe you’ve never tried before.
18. Make a snow angel.
19. Start a gratitude journal.
20. Especially if you’re living in a place with a culture that you’re not familiar with, take a cooking class.
21. Go snow tubing.
22. Treat yourself to a spa day and enjoy the sauna or a hot stone massage.
23. Make mulled wine or apple cider.
24. Drive a snowmobile.
25. Clean out a closet.
26. Sell five things you don’t need on Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or a base/community yardsale page.
27. Donate a trash bag or box of stuff to charity.
28. Go bowling.
29. Find one way to become more environmentally friendly.
30. Celebrate the beginning of Lent with Kings Cake, a Fastnacht, pancakes, or another tradition. (If you don’t observe Lent, you can still enjoy the tasty treats!)
31. Visit a museum.
32. Visit a state park near you.
33. Add a few Valentine’s Day Bucket List goals to your winter list.
34. Send a friend a letter, just ’cause.
35. Start (and finish) a puzzle.
36. Try a new restaurant.
37. Celebrate a local holiday.
38. Go to a winter festival in your area.
39. Spend one day in your pjs.
40. Revise your resume.
41. Have breakfast for dinner.
42. Play a winter-themed game like Don’t Break the Ice.
43. Bake a loaf of bread. (Or visit a local bakery and buy one.)
44. Have an indoor picnic.
45. Begin a “vision board” for a vacation you want to take.
46. Go for a walk after it snows.
47. Buy yourself a bouquet of flowers.
48. Binge-watch a new show.
49. Work out an hour every day for a week.

Read more:

• Here’s Why Milspouses Need a Deployment Bucket List
• How to Write a Deployment Bucket List That Doesn’t Suck
• 128 Goals to Put on Your Deployment Bucket List