Good Leaders: What did you do yesterday afternoon?

So, yesterday was anything but a normal day at the office. In the afternoon I was on TV at the local NBC studios talking with Pat Evans about The Bucket List Book. It’s fun to be on TV! Pat’s a great guy – someone who radiates goodness. Continue reading for a summary of the interview and watch the segment.

What is a Bucket List?

A Bucket List is an idea made popular ten years ago by a movie called The Bucket List. Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson played two terminally-ill patients who made a list of things they wanted to do before they “kicked the bucket” – you know, before they die. What we discovered in the research for this book is that most people don’t think of having a Bucket List as something to do before they die…but something aspirational to help them live!

What is aspirational thinking?

Aspirational thinking is imagining how we want to live and work. It’s about believing in “What’s Possible?” and staying positive in our lives. Psychologists and neuroscience research has proven that aspirational thinking is one of the best ways for human beings to overcome hard-to-break habits and our natural proclivity for negative thinking.

How does aspirational thinking relate to success in life and in business?

My work is all about growing good leadership – in individuals, teams, and organizations. One of the most important reasons people follow a good leader is because they are aspirational in their work. They have a clear and compelling picture of the future, and they are are positive in their work. The opposite of an aspirational leader is someone who is stuck!  Who wants to follow anyone who is stuck?  We think everyone can benefit from creating a Bucket List for their personal and professional life.

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How did the idea to write a book come about?

This thing called The HANDy Paint Pail at hardware stores was invented by Mark Bergman, an aspirational leader whose had a big impact on my life. He and I have been using it as a fundraising tool – only we call it The Bucket of Goodwill. Together we’ve raised more than $200,000 for charities over the past six years through donations into the bucket at the Good Leadership Breakfast. We are going to donate $1 for each of the first 5000 books sold to Make A Wish Minnesota, because that just seems to make sense!

What’s the most surprising thing you learned from the research you did for the book?

Two things: Most people organize their Bucket List into four categories: Travel (going to Paris), Treasures (like collecting baseball cards), Experiences (like skydiving) – and also Accomplishments (like getting a PhD.) But the thing that surprised me the most is that people prefer to keep their list private!  The coaching question is: how can I help you, if you don’t tell me what’s on your Bucket List?

Kevin Warren, COO of the MN Vikings wrote the foreward – why are the Vikings involved?

Kevin is a client, and a really good friend whose whole life is aspirational. He encouraged us to write this book. And anyone who buys a book between now and August 1^st will be eligible for a drawing to win two Vikings tickets and a set of HANDy Paint products.

What’s the most interesting item you’ve seen on a Bucket List?

One person wants to throw $1 bills off of the Empire State Building. Another wants to give away $1M a year. And another wants to jump into a kiddie pool full of Jell-O and whipped cream, just because she can!

What I’ve learned in coaching people – sometimes life is hard. We all need a little help from time to time. If you create a Bucket List and share it…then people will be able to help you live the life you imagine!

So, what did you do yesterday to make progress on your Bucket List?

You can download free sample chapters of The Bucket List Book. And you can order your copies of The Bucket List Book here. The hard cover copies will be shipped this Friday, June 23.