When I heard the term reverse bucket list for the first time this week, I was intrigued. Not being a fan of the term bucket list, I needed to know more.

Welcome to the 113^th edition of The Sunday Spark, a series with weekly thoughts and highlights, nuggets of learning, and a simple living challenge for the week. Along with thoughts on the reverse bucket list, this week’s edition discusses houseplant facts, and freezing leftovers.

On my mind this week: Gratitude, growth and the reverse bucket list

I’ve never been a fan of the term “bucket list”. I’m a growth-oriented person but the whole concept of rushing to tick items off a list before “kicking the bucket” just feels a little morbid to me.

A few days ago, this headline from Huffington Post caught my eye: Is the reverse bucket list the key to happiness? What? A reverse bucket list? I was intrigued.

I learned from the article that a reverse bucket list is a mindfulness exercise involving deep reflection on past accomplishments and wins. Essentially, it’s what many of us would refer to as a gratitude practice.

This type of exercise is an opportunity to slow down and celebrate what we have instead of mindlessly chasing the next thing. For those who stick with it, a regular gratitude practice can lead to a more positive mindset.

But is gratitude for what we have enough? The article suggests the downside of a reverse bucket list is that it could keep us stuck in our comfort zone instead of exploring all that life has to offer. I’d also argue that putting too much weight on past accomplishments is one of the reasons many retirees struggle with leaving their career behind.

It’s a fine line. None of us wants to get to the end of our life with regrets, but the constant need to have more, do more and be more can lead to a general feeling of dissatisfaction.

Balancing gratitude and growth

Ultimately, I think the happiest people have learned to balance gratitude and growth.

In my retirement coaching work, creating a “curious list” is one of the activities I do with my clients. A curious list is a list of things you’re interested in and want to explore at some point, without the pressure of a bucket list. It’s a way to avoid boredom and keep growing and moving forward, while still leaving space for mindfulness and gratitude.   

For me, that balance comes from a healthy curious list, an ongoing learning focus, and small monthly goals that keep me moving forward. All while feeling grateful for the blessings I already have.  

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Three highlights of the week

It’s important to celebrate big milestones and simple pleasures in life. Keeping the trend going, here are three highlights and simple pleasures of the week gone by:

• I love asparagus season! On Friday, I made a big pot of cream of asparagus soup with fresh asparagus from a local farm. It was so delicious. I put several jars in the freezer to provide a little bowl of summer throughout the winter. Here’s a link to the recipe I use. I replace the milk with oat milk, substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth, and add a few cloves of garlic for extra flavour.
• My Christmas cactus is flowering again! It seems to like this time of year.
• After an abysmal showing at home in game 5, my beloved Toronto Maple Leafs shut out the Florida Panthers in game 6. The 7^th and deciding game is tonight in Toronto. Go Leafs Go!

Things I learned this week

It was a quiet week on the learning front thanks to getting lost in a good novel and some momentum on a couple of projects. As I waited for the weather to warm up with enough consistency to safely plant my tomatoes and outdoor flowers, I spent some time repotting and learning about my houseplants.

I’ve never considered myself to have a green thumb, but our south-facing front window seems to work like magic. Many of my houseplants are thriving. The space in front of the window looks a bit like a jungle.

Here are some of the things I learned in my research this week.

Pothos – Devil’s Ivy

This plant that my mother-in-law gave me is a Pothos—also know as Devil’s Ivy.

Apparently it prefers indirect light, and can survive in rooms with little to no sunlight, so I’ve moved it from the window ledge. It’s also supposed to be easy to propagate so I’ll give it a try because I wouldn’t mind a plant or two in some other rooms in our house that don’t get good light.

(Source: House Plant Resource Center)

Aglaonema Siam – Red Chinese Evergreen

This beautiful plant came in a mixed pot given to my by my nephew last year. I love the pink-tinged leaves, the pink stems, and the lily-like blooms. A quick search told me it is an Aglaonema Siam—a Red Chinese Evergreen.

I removed the other plants from the pot to give this one more room to grow, which it will need because it can grow up to three feet tall! I also moved it from the window ledge because it apparently doesn’t like direct sunlight, even though it has been thriving in those conditions for the last year.

(Source: EasyPlant.com)  

Clusia Rosea – Autograph Tree

Finally, other than my out-of-control aloe vera, this Clusia Rosea is one of my plant success stories. It started out in a small 5” pot and look at it now! I’ve already repotted it two or three times, but I hope it will be happy in its new home for a while.

This is another plant that will apparently grow to a height of three feet. I learned that it’s called an Autograph Tree because if you etch your name into its leaves, it will grow as the leaf grows. I tried it, so we’ll see what happens.

This plant is also an air purifier so if I can figure out how to propagate it, I might put one in my bedroom.

(Source: Garden Design)

This week’s simple living challenge – Freezing leftovers

Simplifying life is a big part of living more intentionally. With that in mind, I kicked off the year with 52 ways to simplify your life this year, including a downloadable checklist of weekly tasks.

This week’s challenge is to cook large batches and freeze leftovers in single-serving portions. (Like that delicious asparagus soup.) This makes for quick and easy lunches and dinners, and reduces the chance of eating unhealthy processed foods when time is tight.

There’s still time to set your own theme for the new year and resolve to build some new habits in 2025.

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I’d love to hear what you think about any of this week’s topics. Drop me a comment below and let me know your thoughts and ideas.