The concept of a bucket list is widely known and relatively common for people to have. We all have things we wish to experience at least once in our lives.
However, it’s worth considering the other side of this, too. What are some things you want to steer clear of forever? That’s what one user on Reddit asked, using the term “anti-bucket list” and encouraging people to share the things they’ll never do again.
A moment too late.
“[Bungee] jump.. as soon as my feet left the edge all I could think was ‘well that was stupid’. It was exciting and probably safe enough… but it was enough for me to know I will never willingly do that again.”
One is enough.
“Childbirth and the postpartum period. Love my daughter to death. One and done.”
The replies to this all mocked the shock other parents would have when people would say one is enough, saying they found it hard enough the first time around.
Denying happiness.
“Settling for a relationship knowing you are not really happy. Never. Again.”
As another user wrote, “Yeah the pain of ending the relationship will suck but it beats being miserable everyday for years.”
Not worth the hype.
“Go to Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day. Shoulder-to-shoulder people, insane lines, and nothing special I couldn’t see earlier in the month.”
This is apparently true for most holiday events. There are simply not enough changes for most people to consider the trip worth it.
Workplace relations.
“Assume that every [co-worker] is a friend.”
Many people agreed with this one, even sharing stories about times they’d been burned by co-workers, like one user who wrote, “Amen, I truly believed most of my colleagues were friends in a place I used to work, to the point I’d go above and beyond to help them. […] Yet whenever I needed help they were nowhere to be found or were ‘busy’. If I got in trouble they were quick to throw me under the bus […].”
Let the countdown begin.
“Go to [Times Square] for [New Year’s Eve], looks great on TV, not great in person unless you pay to get in the walled-off area.”
“I had a couple of friends who went a few years ago and they said they wore diapers because they knew [there] weren’t enough bathrooms,” replied one commenter. “Wtf.”
One little mistake.
“Swim in the sea at night whilst drunk. Nearly drowned.”
Someone with lots of experience in this realm agreed. “I like to drink. I live on an island. I frequently surf, swim in the ocean, etc. I even surf at night with glowsticks. I would never get in the water after drinking more than one drink.”
Night owl.
“Pulling an [all-nighter]. Age is catching up on me.”
Others put a stop to this far sooner. “Hell, I stopped in senior year of college. I realized that if the work wasn’t done by 3 AM, no amount of drudgery and sleep loss was going to get it done.”
Quit while you’re ahead!
“Smoke. Did it for 14 years. I feel so much better having quit.”
As encouragement for other smokers who may be reading, one reply wrote, “My grandmother is 82 and had been smoking since she was ‘probably 14’ and she just quit last summer. She is amazed at how much better she can breathe now. It’s never too late!”
One and done.
“Marathons. I did one to prove to myself I could do it and have no interest in doing one again. I know a lot of people say they ‘catch the bug’ and can’t stop doing them once they’ve done one. I am not one of those people”
A little specific.
“[Three and a half] hour jungle hike with almost no water and wearing only a bathing suit and water shoes. I didn’t do this by choice but was more or less forced into it and it SUCKED.”
Good to know! I’ll be sure to avoid this exact experience from here on out.
Protecting yourself.
“Keep putting everyone else’s needs over my own.”
“Learning to set boundaries is one of the most important skills in life,” another user replied, to which many were happy to agree.
Letting go.
“Get another dog. Close to retirement so it’s time to travel.”
Owning pets is great, but you have to know when it’s in your best interest and when it’s something you’re doing simply because it’s familiar and you enjoy the companionship.
The public’s whims.
“I was a server for 5 years. It was fun most of the time but God Almighty, the worst customers could drive a person to murder.”
Someone broadened this further, saying, “Just customer service in general, whether retail, hospitality or other.”
Speaking of retail…
Another comment singled it out as well. “I refuse to ever do [retail] again, people are literally such assholes and don’t realize you’re trying to help them and still get their job done.”
Just a few bruises.
“[…] spin class. I’m short. It was my first time. I didn’t know wtf I was doing in terms of adjusting the bike…my saddle felt like it had been rhythmically beaten with a concrete slab for almost an hour. 0/10. Will not be doing spin class again.”
So close, yet so far.
“Long distance relationship.”
“Hard agree,” said one reply. “Sometimes the will to do it is not enough regardless of how promising it looks. Not being able to even poke them takes a big toll. I admire those that have the patience to stay in a long distance relationship for so damn long before being able to meet up.”
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A challenge gone wrong.
“The One Chip Challenge. Obviously it was incredibly spicy but that was over quickly. The worst part was when my body said ‘nope’ and proceeded to move everything through my digestive system at record speed while it continued to burn the entire way. From 9pm to 3am I was curled up in a ball in the bathroom wanting to die. Can’t describe the pain, it was second only to the kidney stone I had a few years back.”
Comfort, today!
“Buy clothes that don’t fit well in hopes that ‘someday’ I’ll lose weight and be comfortable in them. Just size up, damn it, and be comfortable now!”
Taking the plunge.
“Sky diving. […] It was after chute opened and I was swaying from the chute, with nothing to see but the ground that I started to get really nauseous… Like sea sick.
“I still managed to land right on the target on my first try! Then I sat in the field for like 20 minutes before I was sure I wouldn’t throw up if I moved.
“Nobody much mentions sea sickness while skydiving but yuck, it sucks.”
