Create a work bucket list

One way to get more excited about your working life

If you’ve read my books (starting with 168 Hours), you know that I often suggest making a “List of 100 Dreams.” This exercise, shared with me many years ago by career coach Caroline Ceniza-Levine, is a completely unedited list of anything you’d like to do in life. You know the sorts of things that wind up on there: go to New Zealand, publish a book, learn to speak Spanish, make a perfect meringue, read all the works of Toni Morrison, pay off your mortgage before you turn 50. As you make the list, you learn about what you like, and as you try things, you learn what you might be good at, and what you’d like to spend more time doing.

I love this idea, but when I have groups start making a List of 100 Dreams in workshops, I’ve noticed something. Very few people list work dreams. This has occasionally gotten me in hot water with my hosts. Here I am, hired to make people more productive and people are getting fired up about all the things they want to do that are not work. Oops. But hey, it makes sense. The List of 100 Dreams is about things we want to spend more time doing, and many people do not want to spend more time at work.

More of our working hours, not more hours at work

Eventually I realized I could keep everyone happy by doing a better job of framing this exercise. So I started having people make a List of 100 Dreams with three categories: career, relationships, self. That nudged people to think about career dreams because the truth is that while people don’t want to spend more time at work per se, there are often lots of things within the category of work that we do want to do but, between the emails and meetings, have trouble finding the time.

So if you’ve started making a List of 100 Dreams, awesome. But today, consider focusing on that career category, and make yourself an official “work bucket list.” What things would you like to accomplish professionally in your life?

You can start with jobs you’d potentially like to have — in your organization, in another organization, as a part-time gig, or in a completely different industry. Don’t censor yourself. This is where things get fun! Think about organizations you might like to work for or with. These could be ones you admire, or that seem like they have an amazing culture or great perks. Then think about people you’d like to work with. Feel free to list celebrities. Why not? And then also list your gym buddy that you joke with about starting a business together. Maybe it’s not such a joke. Wouldn’t that be fun?

Then think broadly, not just about what would go on your resumé, but about work experiences you’d like to have. Maybe you want to manage people, or lead a company. Maybe you want to start your own business. Maybe you want to work somewhere with a casual dress code. You might want to be part of a strategic planning process, or an expansion to a new city, or hiring a large number of new people, or launching a new product. Maybe you’d like to become a digital nomad for a year. Anything is fair game. Write it down.

Then there might be legacy or influence things you’d like to achieve. Maybe you’d like to to create a network of people you’ve mentored. Maybe you’d like to host a retreat. Maybe you’d like to write a book or start a podcast. Maybe you’d like to win a certain prize or create a prize. What would you like people to remember you for? What practical differences could you make in the world?

How to use a work bucket list

If you have an accountability partner, you might share your professional bucket list with this person. You might also share it with anyone else who you know will be excited, and not critical. But you also don’t have to share it. The point is to articulate these ideas. Not all will happen, and not all that you try will work out. You might learn, after running a conference, that you don’t like running conferences. This is good to know! You won’t waste time telling yourself in the future that you should seek out such opportunities.

But some stuff might stick. You might learn that you have a knack for hiring great people. You might discover a talent for writing, or you get yourself fired up to send your CV into that company you keep wondering about. And who knows, maybe you will do a project with one of those celebrities you mentioned.

There are all kinds of opportunities in this world. Creating a work bucket list can help you identify the ones you’re interested in and seek them out. If nothing else, you might start feeling a little more excited about your working life — and given that work is a big part of our lives, that can be a big win.