The Reverse Bucket List
A “bucket list” is a list of things you want to do and/or see or experience before you “kick the bucket.” It usually contains meaningful experiences for the person making the list. Having a bucket list is something that many of us do — even if it is just a vague idea of things we’d like in our heads.
We still have a list of things we want to do or accomplish. Life is short and time is fleeting. It’s no wonder that we aim to achieve as much as possible with the years we have been given. But is a bucket list the best option for you to feel fulfilled? What are the items on your list and if you achieved them would you be any happier?
Instead of compiling a bucket list of things you want to achieve there is a school of thought that believes it is more beneficial to make a reverse bucket list. Research has shown that the unfortunate truth about setting goals is that once we have achieved them, the joy we feel afterward is short-lived. It is a brief high followed by a return to the low of normality. Our brains then go back to our original state of malaise and disappointment. We start craving the next thing on the list to make us feel better. Psychologists refer to this as the "hedonic treadmill."
Among those who have a bucket list, the top item isn’t necessarily to see the seven wonders of the world. Neither do most folks in America seem to be bothered with accomplishing an impressive feat. According to data from YouGov, 41 percent of Americans' bucket lists include getting healthier or losing weight. The top bucket list item for Millennials (38 percent), Gen X (43 percent), and Baby Boomers (46 percent) are to get healthier/lose weight.
Money is on people's minds too. Paying off a student loan or other large debts is a priority for close to 30 percent of us. 29 percent want to achieve a wealth goal. Not everyone is selfish though. 27 percent of Americans want to change someone’s life for the better.
A team of researchers out of Indiana University found that people who'd completed a gratitude task months earlier reported feeling more gratitude two weeks after the task than members of the control group. However, it is the long-lasting effects that were revealing. Months later, they showed more gratitude-related brain activity in the scanner. The researchers described these 'profound' and 'long-lasting' neural effects as 'particularly noteworthy’.
The reverse bucket list is pretty straightforward: Rather than writing down all of the things you hope to one day achieve, you instead write down a list of all the things you’ve already accomplished, things that make you feel proud or grateful. It’s the exact opposite of a regular bucket list. Give yourself time to reflect on those things already achieved and milestones met and see the difference.
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