Hi, I'm Jeremy. And this is my WAY.
This project was an attempt at the pursuit of happiness. It was an effort to live a more intentional life and start doing things that I've always wanted to do, but never really got around to doing. I had no idea how things would turn out, but I knew I'd regret it if I didn't at least try.
Back in July, 2020, as the world was still navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and adjusting to life in lockdown, I sat in my New York apartment with one of my best friends and then-roommate, Brett. We contemplated what the future had in store, as our lease was coming up at the end of the month and I'd just been laid off. I felt particularly directionless. Although the responsible thing would have been to start job searching, I was deflated and uninspired, and needed to try something different. I told him that, with everything going on in the world, I merely hoped to someday look back on this chapter with a soft smile and say, "Damn, what a year."
I took a look at a bucket list that I'd started during my Freshman year of college and narrowed it down to some of my favorites. I was curious to see what would happen if I gave myself one year to deliberately go after these neglected life goals. And so, on September 1, 2020, I began my journey to try to cross off 52 goals in 52 weeks. Some were simple (#38. Pay for a stranger's meal), some were ambitious (#11. Bike down the coast from San Francisco to San Diego), and some were pretty ridiculous (#41. Take a selfie with Joseph Gordon-Levitt). But ALL of them truly meant something to me on a deeper level (scroll down to see the list).
By the end of my 52-week journey, I completed 32 of the items on my list. While I didn't complete them all, it was quite possibly the most transformative year of my life. I hope that by sharing my story, others will be inspired to go after some of the neglected items on their bucket lists and ultimately find their WAY to happiness, too.
Back in July, 2020, as the world was still navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and adjusting to life in lockdown, I sat in my New York apartment with one of my best friends and then-roommate, Brett. We contemplated what the future had in store, as our lease was coming up at the end of the month and I'd just been laid off. I felt particularly directionless. Although the responsible thing would have been to start job searching, I was deflated and uninspired, and needed to try something different. I told him that, with everything going on in the world, I merely hoped to someday look back on this chapter with a soft smile and say, "Damn, what a year."
I took a look at a bucket list that I'd started during my Freshman year of college and narrowed it down to some of my favorites. I was curious to see what would happen if I gave myself one year to deliberately go after these neglected life goals. And so, on September 1, 2020, I began my journey to try to cross off 52 goals in 52 weeks. Some were simple (#38. Pay for a stranger's meal), some were ambitious (#11. Bike down the coast from San Francisco to San Diego), and some were pretty ridiculous (#41. Take a selfie with Joseph Gordon-Levitt). But ALL of them truly meant something to me on a deeper level (scroll down to see the list).
By the end of my 52-week journey, I completed 32 of the items on my list. While I didn't complete them all, it was quite possibly the most transformative year of my life. I hope that by sharing my story, others will be inspired to go after some of the neglected items on their bucket lists and ultimately find their WAY to happiness, too.
Last Updated: 8/31/2021 | Total Completed: 32
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#4. Time-travel to celebrate New Year's Eve twice #6. Play soccer with locals in Argentina #12. Adopt a rescue animal #14. Compete on reality TV [read more] #16. Join an Improv Everywhere #19. Turn $1,000 into $10,000 within one weekend [read more] #20. Hitchhike #21. Pick up a hitchhiker #22. Deliver a TED talk [read more] #26. Learn to speak Spanish fluently |
#28. Take a pill in Ibiza [read more] #29. Grab a beer with the guys from The Buried Life [read more] #31. Discover my own personal "7 Natural Wonders of the World" #34. Witness a miracle #37. Crash a wedding #40. Play in an officiated rugby game #41. Take a selfie with Joseph Gordon-Levitt [read more] #42. Yoga in Bali #45. Get high in a hot air balloon #50. Watch the sunrise at Machu Picchu |