Brian Gubernick introduces the reverse bucket list, which catalogs past achievements and moments of gratitude instead of future goals. He walks through a step-by-step process: set aside tech-free time, answer reflective questions about proud moments and risks taken, and aim for 25 items. The practice shifts focus from status to depth and builds self-trust during doubt.
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Thank you for joining me today. It's Brian Gubernick, and welcome to the No Days Off podcast, where we believe that every single day brings a new opportunity to get better. Today's episode is not about what's next. It's actually about what's already happened and why looking back might just be the most powerful way to move forward. We're talking about a tool you've probably never tried, but once you try this out, it could change how you feel about your progress, your identity, and your future. This exercise is called the reverse bucket list. Now, it's interesting timing for me to be discussing the reverse bucket list because just a handful of episodes ago, I think it was episode 556, I talked about creating a 90-day bucket list the traditional sort of bucket list that was inspired by my 12-year-old daughter who created her summer bucket list. Well, in today's episode, I'm actually asking you to do something that's quite the opposite. It's called the reverse bucket list. I think we all know what the traditional bucket list is. It's a list of things that you want to do before a specific point in time. Usually, it's before you die. In the episode I did a handful of days ago, it was before the summer was up. But again, the traditional bucket list is before I die, I'm going to do these things, these adventures, have these achievements, you know, these aspirations. But a reverse bucket list is a little bit different. It's actually the exact opposite. It's a list of things that you've already done, things that you're proud of, things that you're grateful for. Things that maybe you're shaped by. It could be personal wins that go on this reverse bucket list. It could be the hard seasons you made it through. It could be the experiences that changed you. Maybe it's the people you've impacted. Maybe the risks you took that helped you grow. The goal in creating this list, this reverse bucket list, is to acknowledge how far you've come instead of always obsessing over how far you still have to go. Really, really interesting concept. Let's be honest, we're wired for dissatisfaction, especially as entrepreneurs or as high, high performers. We rarely pause to appreciate the progress that we've made. I mean, There are books written on this subject, like The Gap and The Gain. We have a tendency to find ourselves dissatisfied because we don't pause. We don't appreciate how far we've come. That's why happiness sometimes feels so elusive. But gratitude, in my opinion, it actually, it grounds us. It shifts our mindset from not enough to look what I've done. And I think this is a great thing because it reinforces identity. It says, I'm the kind of person who overcomes. I'm the kind of person who finishes, who shows up. And it reduces the, the never enough anxiety that oftentimes kills momentum. There's Harvard research that backs this up. People who practice gratitude regularly are measurably happier, they're measurably healthier, and they're more productive. It's also why Tim Ferriss, who's one of my favorite thought leaders, why he once said that reflecting on past wins is part of his weekly journaling practice, because it fuels confidence and that leads to momentum. So here's how you create your reverse bucket list. And not just how to create it, but how to make it enjoyable so it doesn't feel like homework. Step 1, I want you to set the mood, okay? I want you to take 20 or 30 minutes alone, put on music, whatever it is, just get out of your usual workspace, grab a piece of paper, grab a notebook, not your phone, because I want to be disconnected from technology. But grab the notebook. Now, this is not a to-do list. It's actually a time machine, as crazy as that sounds. So, step 1, set the mood. Step 2, let's ask yourself some better questions. What have I done that my younger self would be proud of? What did I accomplish that was hard at the time? What moments shaped who I am today? What risks did I take that paid off? Who have I helped or impacted? Don't just think big. You know, I want you to include small. I want you to include intimate. Include the meaningful victories. Things like survived heartbreak, paid off debt, stayed kind. Under pressure. So step 1, set the mood. Step 2, ask yourself better questions. Step 3, write freely. Aim for 25 moments or milestones. Don't judge them, don't rank them, just reflect. This is all about reflection. It's not about performance. So write freely, step 3. Now you've probably compiled If you've gone through this exercise, you've probably compiled a decent reverse bucket list. This really helps, I believe, in life, in business, in relationships. In business, it'll reinforce your identity as someone who gets results, who adapts, who finishes. And on tough days, I think it's a really good reminder of your resilience. And in relationships, it helps you appreciate shared wins with people you care about, with loved ones. You may even realize who really matters based on who shows up on that list, believe it or not. And in life, I think this exercise recalibrates your goals a little bit. You stop chasing status and you start pursuing depth. You build some self-trust, and in my mind, that's a superpower. Now you've made the list, okay? Now what? What do you do with this list? First, I think you review it regularly. Call it once a month before a big goal or after a hard week. Use it to re-anchor yourself in truth. Next, I think if you're so inclined, share pieces of it with people you love. Tell a friend or a partner or significant other about a moment you're proud of. It's interesting, but I think this strengthens bonds and gives your story even more power. And then number 3, I would add to it over time. I don't think this is a one-time exercise. It's a living document of, of who you are, of, of who you're becoming. And then lastly, and arguably I think the most important thing here, use it as fuel. When you doubt yourself, when you're tempted to quit, open up that reverse bucket list. And let it kind of whisper to you, look at everything you've done. Don't stop now. Look at all you've accomplished. So, my action item for you. I want you to do the reverse bucket list, but at a minimum, I want you to ask yourself the question, what's one moment from your past that your younger self would be in awe of? And how can you carry that energy into today? What's a moment from your past that your younger self would be in awe of, and how can you carry that energy into today? Don't just measure your life by what's left to do. I love the bucket list concept, don't get me wrong. I'm encouraging everybody to go back a few episodes and listen to the Summer Bucket List Challenge. It's gonna become a movement here at No Days Off. So, I'm all for the bucket list, the list of what's left to do. But don't measure your life by what's left. Measure it by how far you've already come. I think that's the power of a reverse bucket list. And that's also part of the No Days Off mindset. That's all I have for you today, the No Days Off podcast. Thank you so much for listening. And remember, every single day brings a new opportunity to get better. So let's get after it.
