07 Dec An alternative to setting New Year Resolutions
At this time of year many of us turn our attention to setting new goals for the new year.
This is a great idea, as we know that having something to look forward to, working towards meaningful accomplishments and ultimately achievement all contribute to happiness.
And who doesn’t want more happiness in 2018!
But there is at least one other thing to consider; and one thing that might add even more to your 2017/2018 happiness…
via Business Insider by Jessica Stillman
- Bucket lists are great for reminding you what you want to accomplish.
- But sometimes they can make you feel overwhelmed and stressed.
- To combat this, write a “reverse bucket list” — which is just a list of everything you have done already.
- Reverse bucket lists celebrate what you’ve already achieved, and remind you that it’s possible to accomplish your goals — which will make you feel happier and more motivated.
Bucket lists are productivity 101. You need to keep a running tally of your dreams, the standard thinking goes, to remind you of what you want in life and to turn up the pressure on yourself to actually make these dreams happen.
Yet as ubiquitous as this advice is, how many of us have joyfully scribbled down a long list of travel destinations, lofty goals, and crazy activities only to end up sticking it in a drawer somewhere and never consulting it again? If anecdotal evidence (and personal experience) is anything to go on, the answer is quite a few.
Writer Anna-Meyer Shine knows why. “While my bucket list inspires me to take initiative, it can also make me feel, well, overwhelmed. Like a shame-y reminder of all the things I haven’t done. It can feel like I have so much left to accomplish — and that any moment I’m not doing something on the list isn’t a moment well spent,” she explained in Fast Company recently.
What’s the antidote to the creeping stress that can come from keeping a long list of things you haven’t done yet? Meyer-Shine and a bunch of other writers have a simple suggestion: Have a bucket list if you want, but also write a “reverse bucket list.”
…keep reading the full & original article HERE