My friend, Marsha, recently shared the idea of a reverse Bucket List (which in turn was inspired by another woman).
While you could use this as a brag sheet (more about that below), I recently realized that many of my past accomplishments felt more substantial as I looked back on them.
Quote of the day: “Our potential is one thing. What we do with it is quite another.” Angela Duckworth
When we think about bucket lists, we usually dream up adventures and goals for the future. I’ve used these lists in the past when a group of bloggers talked about them. Here is one of my recaps from 2017.
You know how I like to wear clothing inside out and upside down, so what if we flipped the script on the bucket list idea? A reverse bucket list is a beautiful reminder to celebrate all the amazing things we’ve already experienced and maybe to learn from them.
This isn’t the first time I have expressed gratitude, I think it can be life-changing. The way we look at the world is everything.
In no way did I want my reverse bucket list to read like a brag sheet. Instead, I wanted it to be an acknowledgment of hard work, along with life lessons. For that reason, I’m keeping it to my Top 4.
While I was in no way a Simone Biles, I credit much of my balance and flexibility to my younger days of working hard at gymnastics.
At my private gym, I competed in the Class 2 group. There was a Class 1 above that, and then the Elites.
Suffice it to say, I was good, but not that good. My best events were the vault and floor.
My weakest event was uneven bars (back when they were closer together). I did not have the upper body strength to be great, and to this day, it’s what I have to work on the most.
It was a hard schedule, and I transitioned to my high school team for my junior and senior years. I never wanted to continue competing in college, but I did teach young kids at one point in college to earn extra Money.
Yes, I got hurt. Many, many times. One of my chiropractors suggested that my headaches could be partly from some of the head traumas that I sustained. And it makes sense.
What I’ve learned: Persistence and hard work can benefit us in many ways…not just physically.
Of course, this is a huge element on my reverse bucket list, but to me, I never really considered it a big thing.
I said I was going to do it, so I did it. And I think when you are going through it, you don’t realize how substantial a task it is.
But I was telling my husband lately, how when I look back, I am impressed by a couple of things. It didn’t mean as much at the time because I didn’t have the perspective of hindsight. But the 2 things that I did right were:
1-I was constantly working towards my requirements by scheduling patients. Because of that, I finished months before graduation, so I was able to take it easy at the end and study more for my board testing.
2-Out of the 11 women in my dental class, only 3 of us passed the Boards the first time through. When I think back on that, especially knowing how smart and talented my classmates were, I get a warm and fuzzy feeling.
What I’ve learned: Celebrate even the small wins. You may not realize how big they are in the scheme of things. Yet even small things make a difference.
Beginning in 2008, a local magazine started a Top Dentist list, and lo and behold, I was on it. This was a yearly thing until I retired in 2013.
While I ALWAYS tried to do the best for my patients and their experience, I knew I was human. When people had sensitivity after dental work, I always blamed myself.
On top of that, I wasn’t the best boss. Patients would tell me that I ran a tight ship. And I did. It could be a good thing, or not.
But looking back, I definitely micromanaged my staff. I’m not sure I could be any different because my whole heart and soul were in that practice.
When I sold my practice, I was inundated with cards and sentiments from patients saying they would miss me and appreciated me.
WOW. I had no idea. I wasn’t in the habit of gratitude at the time, as I tended to remember the 20% of patients who complained or always told me how much they hated the dentist.
What I’ve learned: Tell people now that you appreciate them. Not just your Health providers, but friends and neighbors.
I am proud of myself for continuing to learn new things and especially for being open to things that are different than my knowledge in my 20s, 30s, and 40s.
Funny story: My young 20-something employees were all over Facebook and Pinterest at one time during my dental practice, and I couldn’t imagine why. They even started a FB page for me, but I wasn’t into it. I just looked back at it, and it cracks me up.
Of course, it’s easier to learn more when I am not stressed with having a dental practice and employees.
While I’ve always been interested in health and wellness, I would say that my thinking has turned to a more Eastern Medicine approach than before.
I will say that part of it is only because when you are running a business, it’s hard to not only learn but to integrate a whole different way of medicine into your routine. You aren’t sure of the outcomes, and it’s scary.
My biggest learning:
-I have a blog, social media channels, and I use them consistently.
-Health and wellness are always interesting to me, and I not only try to incorporate them into my daily life but also share them with others in my emails and blog posts.
-My fashion style has turned 180 degrees (proven with photos and everything).
-Giving up sugar as a sugar addict is something I could never have imagined.
-I enjoy reading non-fiction and even include a couple of book reviews on my site from Estrogen Matters to Blind Spots.
-In the past, I was always the last to embrace new Technology and really anything new. Now, I’m incredibly more open-minded about how we can grow and realize that “rules” we learned in the past could be distorted.
What I’ve learned: I don’t need to Travel the world to enjoy this part of my life. By retiring very early, we knew we would have to curtail the big spending ticket items and enjoy life more frugally. Yet we have never been happier.
Taking the time to create my reverse bucket list reminded me just how full and beautiful life already is.
It’s so easy to get caught up in chasing the next thing, but pausing to honor the memories, milestones, and even the small everyday joys brings a deep sense of gratitude.
I hope this inspires you to sit down and make your own reverse bucket list — you might be surprised at just how much you’ve already accomplished and experienced.
And don’t forget to ask yourself what you learned. Living it is one thing. Learning from it is another.
After all, style isn’t just about what we wear; it’s about celebrating the journey we’ve walked so far.
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