The Power of Bucket Lists with Jeremy George

Jennifer Norman:
Hello beautiful humans. Welcome to The Human Beauty Movement Podcast, your source for hope, healing, happiness and humanity. My name is Jennifer Norman. I'm the founder of the Human Beauty Movement and your host. This podcast is here to guide you on your journey of self, love, empowerment, soul alignment and joy. With each episode, I invite beautiful humans from all corners of the globe to join me for open conversations about their life lessons and the important work that they are doing to help heal humankind. Take a moment now to subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss an episode. I'm so glad you're here joining me for today's show.

Jennifer Norman:
What's on your bucket list? Is it skydiving? Traveling to far off places? Or maybe finally tackling a fear that's been holding you back? What if the secret to happiness, fulfillment and rediscovering your purpose lies in chasing those dreams and daring to turn them into reality? Today, I'm thrilled to be joined by someone who's made it his life's mission to help others pursue their wildest aspirations. Jeremy George. Jeremy is an entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and a true bucket list enthusiast. A few years ago, Jeremy was struggling with his mental health, but he got the inspiration to embark on a life changing adventure to complete 52 bucket list goals in 52 two weeks. From cliff jumping in Hawaii and biking down the California coast to conquering his stage fright, Jeremy's journey was a testament to the power of stepping out of one's comfort zone and embracing life's greatest experiences. As the founder of Bucket Match, Jeremy has taken his passion for adventure and connection to a whole new level by creating a platform that helps people connect and support one another in achieving their bucket list dreams. In this episode, Jeremy will share how taking risks, facing fears, and living intentionally can lead to profound personal growth and a deeper sense of purpose. You'll learn how to ignite your own sense of adventure, build meaningful connections, and create a life filled with joy.

Jennifer Norman:
So what's stopping you from starting your own bucket list journey? Hopefully by the end of this conversation, nothing will stop you. Welcome to the podcast, Jeremy.

Jeremy George:
Yeah, thank you so much, Jennifer. Excited to be here and really appreciate that intro.

Jennifer Norman:
Absolutely. Well, you've been through a journey. I would love for you to orient our listeners, our viewers and tell them what caused you to start this whole bucket list inspiration and really go on this adventure to helping others to also create their own bucket lists.

Jeremy George:
Yeah, so I'll try to give the somewhat abbreviated version and then I'm sure we can get into deeper, deeper topics. But the short of it is in 2019, right before COVID I had hit a certain point in my life where I thought I should be happy based on all these milestones I had achieved in my career, my finances. You know, I was living in a beautiful apartment in New York City at that time. But the truth is, I was deeply unhappy. And I think it was a stark realization for me that I had been chasing a lot of these vanity metrics that weren't actually my goals. They were goals that I felt I had to achieve due to society or my upbringing, cultural norms, whatever it was. But realizing that hitting those goals wasn't making me happy put me into a really dark place. I struggled with suicidal ideation for about a year after that because I started to believe that happiness actually wasn't attainable, that I was always just going to be climbing after the next thing, and it would always just be this struggle and then COVID hit.

Jeremy George:
And, you know, as for all of us, we were forced to reconcile with the fact that life is so fragile and it can really be taken away from you and flipped upside down at any moment. And then I was let go from my job due to a COVID layoff. And so in this moment, I sort of had this choice, right? I could either continue on the path and try to get another job and go down what I was already down. But that terrified me because I was worried about what would happen. And I realized that because I was pursuing these vanity metrics, I had been neglecting all these other things that I wanted to experience and things that I wanted to try in life, all the things on my bucket list. And so I decided that instead of going down the normal path, let me just completely flip the script. And I dedicated the next year to just deliberately going after a bunch of things from my bucket list. And this is something that I had started when I was 19 years old.

Jeremy George:
I dug up that list, I read through the whole thing, and it reinvigorated this sense of enthusiasm for the world that I hadn't thought felt in a long time. And I should say that, like, not everything on my bucket list was necessarily incredibly epic or adventurous. There are some really simple things on there, too, right? I wanted to pay for a stranger's meal, or I wanted to meditate for 30 days consistently. And so I think that the point is that a bucket list, a true bucket list, I think, is the most authentic reflection of who you are and what you want to experience during your finite time on this planet. So I went off, I did a bunch of things I had an opportunity to give a TEDx Talk at the end of that project, as you described. And what really blew me away was after the talk came out, just the sheer number of messages I would receive from people expressing similar sentiments, feeling like they were kind of floating through life, but they weren't really deliberately going after the things that they wanted. And as a result, they were terrified that they might someday realize it's too late to go after the life that they really want. And in fact, there have been countless studies done where at the end of our lives, when we're looking back on what we regret most, 76% of people are more likely to regret the things that they did not do, not the things that they did right.

Jeremy George:
So we don't regret the mistakes we made or the decisions that we made. We're far more likely to regret the risks that we never took, the creative pursuits that we never leapt on. And so that's when I realized there's a bigger problem here and I'm hoping I can help solve part of that.

Jennifer Norman:
Oh, my goodness. Well, thank you so much for that recap of how it began, what inspired you and some of those things on your bucket list, and we'll go over those in more detail. The first thing that I wanted to just mention and then also ask you is you're still very young. And to me it seems like there's a lot of young people who are suffering with either like quarter life crises or identity crises, a lot of things which just, they're just struggling with who they are and what really makes them. And that's a normal part of life, isn't it? It really does get to a point where we do have to figure ourselves out. But when it starts to get too bad, when you start getting to a place where you're having these suicidal ideations, we can talk about some of these measures. If you're feeling depressed for more than two weeks, if you're starting to isolate yourself, these are real cues that something's wrong and definitely a course correction that you can take, whether it is to seek professional help or whether it's to really just surround yourself with a support group that can really help to bring out what are these conversations that you're having in your own mind, and what are those things that you thought would make you happy, which actually are kind of hollow and shallow and aren't really leading to that sense of joy and fulfillment that you ultimately thought? And I know for myself, I also lived in Manhattan for quite a time, and I felt the same way the culture in certain places, in certain environments really does create a sense of, you've got to get to that salary, you've got to have that kind of job. And when you're scrolling social media, a lot of young people are like, I just can't keep up.

Jennifer Norman:
This is like, what's the point? I'm never going to be able to have what that person has. And then they feel like just like everything is for naught, and it makes them feel a bit worthless, which is such a sad thing. Is that something that you feel was also what you've internalized?

Jeremy George:
Yeah, I mean, I think anecdotally, on a personal level, yes. Upon reflection. Right. I see a lot of that. And as the founder of Bucket Match now, I'm really trying to understand at a macro level, what does this really mean? And the surgeon general, NPR, Wall Street Journal, they all have recently released articles about this loneliness epidemic that's been pervading through the United States and other countries, but in the United States in particular for over the last decade. It's all the things you mentioned, right? It's the proliferation of social media and how everything is a highlight reel. We're constantly comparing ourselves. We're spending more time glued to our phones rather than out in the world.

Jeremy George:
As I would say, even the rise of things like cryptocurrency or influencers, where people are making outsized amounts of money in very short periods, which is not natural. Right. Our dopamine cycles aren't intended to be able to handle that. And so it's just. It's sort of this culmination of all these things. And then I do think living in New York City has its own culture as well, as you mentioned. But as a result of that, a lot of young people, millennials, Gen Z in particular, are really struggling to understand "what is my reward system?"

Jeremy George:
Right. What actually brings me fulfillment and happiness, as opposed to just chasing sort of different levels of dopamine. We're not spending enough time reflecting on what matters to me. And that's why I think a bucket list is so critical. Because if you really sit down and if you really just try to write down 100 things that you want to do and experience before you die, some of them might still be those career aspirations. I want to make a million dollars, whatever it is, and I think that's fine. I think that's great to have on your bucket list. But what you'll also find is you'll say, I want to spend more time with grandma.

Jeremy George:
Right? Or I've had people come to me and say, you know what? I never knew my dad growing up. That's one of the number one things on my bucket list, is to go find my father, my mother, family member who I've never met before. And I think you'll start to see these parts of you in your bucket list that represents a really authentic version of yourself, and then go out and try to do it right. But the first step is to write it down.

Jennifer Norman:
Amazing. The other thing I wanted to mention, because this is The Human Beauty Movement Podcast. And a lot of times people think, oh, this is a podcast for women because of the word "beauty." But truly, I started The Human Beauty Movement to really talk about the beauty of all humans. And I love that you are a male coming on and talking about this vulnerable aspect of your life and really opening up and helping others in this beautiful way so that people can also find their own sparks. And I think that that is also an important thing that you mentioned in terms of the bucket list. I mean, you can take inspiration from other people, but really, what lights you up, what really sparks your joy, what really is a delight to you and what you think is, like, a very personal thing that you would want to see yourself growing out your own comfort zone to achieve. That's very different than saying, like, well, my dad said that I should be a doctor. And so. And that feels like a struggle.

Jennifer Norman:
That's like, you're not really doing it because you absolutely are willing and loving to and wanting to do it. Like, if you want to because you want to help people and you want to cure illness, then that's something completely different. But if you're doing it because somebody else told you, or if it's what society thinks or what you think society is telling you that you should do in order to be an accomplished individual, then those are the conversations to have internally to say, is this something that is right for my bucket list? So with that, I would love for people to just hear a little bit of inspiration, because you talked about, like, grandma, I know that you dyed your hair. Like, things like that I think were hilarious. And so just like, nothing is too small to go on this bucket list. And also, a lot of people think that bucket lists are something to do before you die.

Jennifer Norman:
You actually had this goal to have it done before 52 weeks was up. And then there was also a point at which you said, I'm not going to achieve this. I would love to hear about, like, some of the things that were on your bucket list. And then the fact that you didn't make all of those 52 items. Like, how did that make you feel? And what. And what to do about that or where to go from there.

Jeremy George:
Yeah, totally. So. So, yeah, so as you mentioned, I set out to do 52 goals in 52 weeks. Mostly because I just felt like that sounded nice and it gave me a nice structure to this project. But my actual bucket list has like over 250 things, right? And so I. I picked the ones that really stood out to me the most. The ones that lit me up as you described. And so, yeah, so some of them were very simple.

Jeremy George:
Like you said, I wanted to dye my hair. That's something I was always kind of just curious about. But due to my line of work, I never felt like it was really apropo. Not because I have anything against dyeing your hair, but I'm so customer facing. I was wondering if people would take me seriously. So finally I had this sort of opportunity to do it and I did. I also wanted to write and record a rap. I'm not a rapper by any means, but it's something I enjoy rap music, something I always wanted to try.

Jeremy George:
And so a good friend of mine, Dan, who is a rapper, really helped coach me through that process. I don't think I'll ever do it again. After hearing my voice, as it goes with many people, you realize, like, it's not for me, but it was an experience. And really, actually what I loved about it is it's creative art form that I'd never taken before to express myself in the rap. And ended up being about, why did I start this, What A Year Project. And so it really helped me reflect on it in a way that I'd never done before. So that was really cool. I would say that some of the more like typical adventurous ones, we went to go try to see the Northern Lights.

Jeremy George:
I went cliff jumping in Hawaii, as you mentioned. My favorite one, I think, or the one that was most challenging. I biked down the California coast from San Francisco to San Diego. It's like a 650 mile bike ride. We did it over 10 days. Wow. But the reason that one is my favorite is it really culminates one of the biggest learning lessons that I had from this experience, which is it's really all about the people. As you mentioned, I didn't actually achieve all 52 things on my bucket list.

Jeremy George:
I only got 32 done. But it was the pursuit of this project that really brought that enthusiasm for life. And I realized that for everything on my list, if I included at least One other person to either hold me accountable or to coach me through the process or to even do that thing with me. I was not only way more likely to actually successfully achieve that goal, but it was also just, like, way more fun. We could delegate responsibilities, right? We could get things done more quickly. Sometimes we could even help each other save money. And so, on this bike trip, I ended up having, in total, seven different people join me along the way, whether they biked just a small portion of the trip, or maybe they hosted me at their house down the California coast. And it really culminated in this sort of reminder that life, I think, is all about meaningful experiences that you share with other people.

Jeremy George:
And so it was an incredibly hard challenge, but also incredibly rewarding.

Jennifer Norman:
Wow. Wow. I was listening to an expert on happiness, and she was saying the exact same thing. I mean, the socialization aspect of our lives is so important. And a lot of times, the things that make us the most happy, those memories that we cherish, often don't include a screen. And so it's like being present, and it's like just really feeling that sense of connection with other people. It might include another person. Sometimes it includes an animal, whether it's a pet, like a dog or a horse or a cat or something.

Jennifer Norman:
But you feel that closeness, that affection, and that love and that camaraderie and that sense of support. And those are the things that are probably going to stick with you when you are on your deathbed. It's like, I remember when that, those emotional aspects of, yeah, we did this together, or remember that sense of exhilaration when we were all together. So it is just a kind of like a war cry to, like, hey, let's get off our screens. It's important to...for us to also be connected through this wonderful technology that we have. But for those times where you can literally get it out of your sight, because what happens is, even if it's, like, within your sight, there was a study where there were two, I think it was college groups that were taking tests. The ones that had their phones on their desks did significantly poorer than the ones that had their phones away.

Jennifer Norman:
So it's just like, there is a mental tax and there's almost like this multitasking to say, like, somebody's going to text me, what's happening on Instagram. So even those things distract you from being present and being able to fully enjoy the gorgeousness and the richness that is there right before your eyes. Another thing is like, yeah, that physical exertion that you were talking about, like, going down, cliff jumping, or whether it's biking or just being out in nature, there is so much in terms of just the serotonin that you get from sunlight, from the rustling of the leaves, the feeling of the fresh air, all of those things that can surround you. A lot of these things don't cost a lot of money. There are certainly adventures and trips and things where if you want to go and save up for those and those really light you up and bring you joy, then those are great too to have on your bucket list because they build experience. But it's usually not the things so much that you accumulate that really are going to give you that sense of delight. Because a lot of times after you acquire those, and it's like, okay, well what else can I acquire? What else can I acquire? And it's like a never ending cycle.

Jennifer Norman:
But those really random, unusual senses of kindness, those acts of kindness, like you said, pay for somebody else's meal. In California, where the wildfires are so abundant, all of the people that are coming out, the actual outpouring of love, just that, I think will be a lot of people's takeaway from this tragedy. More so than the ashes and the destruction. It's like, look at how the community came together and had such humanity. So, yeah, like there's an idea of dreaming big, but there's also like these little things that we can do every single day and maybe build up and say, you know what, this is a great opportunity for me to really become, start living, and day by day, building up and becoming that person, and enjoying that journey of having these little cues and markers that could really stack up and create your own bucket list.

Jeremy George:
Absolutely, yeah. And I think just one note on the relationships you described. Harvard, I think just recently released their longest study on happiness. And of course there are all kinds of factors, but the number one factor that they found was relationships as well. And it's the qualities, the depth of those relationships. And I think when we, even if we are engaging and interacting with our friends and family over social media, it might feel, based on all these different data points, like, yes, I'm still interacting, but I think the truth is we know that it's still a surface level interaction. So I agree wholeheartedly. I think there's a lot of value in that technology.

Jeremy George:
Obviously you and I are connecting right now because we're able to through technology. And so it's really beautiful, it's really powerful as long as we maintain a healthy relationship with it.

Jennifer Norman:
Yes. And each year when they have the Happiness Report that is published. I mean, the United States keeps going down, we keep going down in the happiness ratio, but places like Denmark are the top of the list. Why is that? Well, it's because they don't focus as much on work. They focus on having more free time so that they can spend time with their families and their friends. And as a matter of fact, a lot of times their bosses will, like, if there's somebody that, like, stays late at work, they'll have a conversation to say, like, why didn't you get your work on time? You got to get out of here when it's time to go. Like, they prioritize making sure that people are having lives.

Jennifer Norman:
The word "ambition" is kind of pejorative in Denmark, which is really interesting, which is completely in a contrast to the United States, where it's like, you know, people think ambition is such a good thing. We're not downplaying the role of ambition and the importance it is within ourselves. But it's just that, what is your ambition for? Is it an ambition to really have a zest for life and to get the most out of it and to have... Yes, we work and we do these things, but does it give you a sense of fulfillment and sense satisfaction in what you're doing? And there is a... It's wonderful to see that a lot of young people are reconnecting with that sensibility. I think that they see the damage that, quote, unquote, the damage that has been done to former generations where it was all about work, and we just, like, myopically went straight into the office and forewent all of our relationships, and that was not healthy, at least now, such as yourself, who's such a role model for the millennials and the Gen Zers and so on, to really say, like, let's build a life worth living. Let's really, like, necessarily not be focusing so much on making a living. We want to make a life.

Jeremy George:
Right? Right. Yeah, I think. And one thing, you know, especially now, having started a company around this and getting a lot more time to look at data behind, like, what I'm seeing in Bucket Match, one thing that does give me a lot of hope is Gen Z, Millennials, they are recognizing that they want more experiences, that they do want more authentic lives, and they do recognize all the problems that we've discussed. And I think they're just looking for a solution, like, what is the vehicle that I can, you know, use? Just help me get there. Right.

Jeremy George:
How can I make sure that when I'm out on my bed. I'm not going to look back and regret working too much or that I didn't spend enough time with the people I cared about. And so I think there's a lot of different solutions. Right. We're also seeing a lot of apps come out that are sort of the anti social media app, where it's like, it'll lock you out of your social media and you're not allowed to join for a certain amount of time. And so it's really intending to get us off our phones. I think that's certainly one route. Right.

Jeremy George:
That's obviously not the company I started, but I think the generation is looking for ways to make sure that we can have more balanced, healthy lives. And so I hope that I can just be a part of that.

Jennifer Norman:
Amazing. I want you to tell everybody about Bucket Match, where they can find it and what it's all about.

Jeremy George:
Sure. So if you just go to www.bucketmatch.ai, that's our landing page, and you can read more about what we do, you can sign up for an account there. It's totally free. Bucket Match is an online platform that connects people based on their bucket lists. So the idea is you go in, when you create your account, you just write right on everything that's on your bucket list or whatever you're comfortable sharing. And then our job is to algorithmically connect you with other people that might have shared or similar interests. Maybe it's someone that has actually done that that could help coach you through the process. And then we'll also help you, like, put together a plan.

Jeremy George:
We can help you connect you with certain partners, like products and services that could help you achieve those goals. So our intention is really just to help people go out, live more deliberately and cross off some cool things on their bucket lists.

Jennifer Norman:
Amazing. I love that it helps to connect people for that socialization aspect that you're talking about. And it also does build in a sense of accountability. It's like, I am going to do this. When you have somebody else that that's like, yeah, I'm doing it, too. Then it's even more motivation for both of you to help and perhaps either do it together or check up on each other. And it fills in that cue.

Jennifer Norman:
I was also listening to somebody else who was saying, you know, some of the reasons why people who own pets are happiest is not just the pet itself, but the socialization that it brings. So if you go to a dog park, you're like, oh, I love your dog. What kind of dog, is that what's his name? And then all of a sudden you've got a friend. And then your circle of friends actually builds because of that. So it's not just the, the animal, but it's also like socialization aspect with other people that it brings. And so this is almost like a very similar thing where it's like based upon your interests, you get to meet other people who have those same... Whether it's small, whether it's mighty, whether it's random, whether it's, you know, whatever it is. Then you'll find people that are very similarly connected. I would love to hear, like, maybe relationships get sparked.

Jennifer Norman:
Who knows? This could be kind of like a dating thing on the side. Maybe it builds into that could be,,.

Jeremy George:
One of the KPIs I think we'll have to measure is how many people are at each other's weddings, because whether they're getting married to each other or they're going as like a groomsman or a bridesmaid. Yeah. I do think that you create a lot of really authentic connections. It's when it's based on not just the fact that we live in the same area or we go to the same bar or whatever it is, but it's based on the fact that we have this sort of deeper similarity.

Jennifer Norman:
Yeah, it's almost like you can have a, like, almost like a bucket match, pal, like across the world, around the world. Something that you would have never have met before. And who knows, maybe one day you go to Kathmandu together. That's really interesting.

Jeremy George:
Yeah. I've connected with people from all over the world because of my bucket list.

Jennifer Norman:
Oh, I love that.

Jeremy George:
It also helps you as a global citizen to really recognize that, you know, as much as we all, of course, have our differences, we all kind of want the same thing.

Jennifer Norman:
Absolutely.

Jeremy George:
And so it's been a really great way for me to just have a better understanding of the world as well.

Jennifer Norman:
Well, everybody, Jeremy George, he's the founder of Bucket Match. Go over to bucketmatch.ai and see if you can start tracking your own bucket list. I hope that you enjoyed this episode and thank you so much, Jeremy, for being a beautiful human. Thank you for being on the show today.

Jeremy George:
Thanks, Jennifer. Yeah, thanks very much.

Jennifer Norman:
Thank you for listening to The Human Beauty Movement podcast. Be sure to follow rate and review us wherever you stream podcasts. The Human Beauty Movement is a community based platform that cultivates the beauty of humankind. Check out our workshops, find us on social media and share our inspiration with all the beautiful humans in your life. Learn more at thehumanbeautymovement.com. Thank you so much for being a beautiful human.