Most people think of a Life List as a bucket list—a set of big dreams for someday. But as Larry Kendall teaches in Ninja Selling, its real purpose is much more practical and immediate.

A Life List helps train your Reticular Activating System (RAS)—the part of your brain responsible for focus and awareness. Your RAS filters the world based on the signals you give it. When you write down the experiences you want to have, the qualities you want to develop, and the ways you want to grow, you’re giving your brain instructions on what to notice.

And it begins noticing.

Opportunities stand out.
Conversations land differently.
Ideas and invitations connect in ways they didn’t before.

That’s the quiet power of clarity.

In Ninja Selling, Larry Kendall quotes adventurer John Goddard, who reminds us that “the quality of your life is the quality of your list.” Goddard understood that attention creates direction—what you consistently focus on shapes the life you build.

The Inspiration: John Goddard’s Life List

The Life List in the Ninja Planner is inspired by John Goddard, who, at just 15 years old, wrote down 127 things he wanted to experience in his lifetime. His list reflected adventure, learning, contribution, and curiosity.

What made his list meaningful wasn’t its length—it was its clarity.
Goddard wasn’t trying to impress anyone.
He simply named what mattered.
And as he moved through life, his awareness helped him find the people, places, and opportunities that aligned with those intentions.

That same clarity is what the Life List invites from each of us.

Why Create a Life List?

1. It reconnects you with what matters.

A Life List cuts through daily noise and brings forward the experiences and growth that genuinely resonate with you.

2. It nurtures gratitude and presence.

As you think about what you want to experience in the future, you naturally become more aware of what you already appreciate.

3. It supports continual growth.

Your Life List keeps you curious. It encourages expansion—not through pressure, but through awareness.

4. It helps your RAS work for you.

When you write things down, your brain begins spotting small steps and meaningful moments that align with what you’ve written.

5. It deepens relationships.

Sharing your Life List—when appropriate—helps others understand what inspires you and can spark meaningful conversations.

How to Create Your Life List

In Ninja Selling, Larry Kendall recommends organizing your Life List into four simple, powerful categories. These categories help you think more holistically about the life you want to live.

Here’s how to use them:

1. Family

These are the experiences you want to create with the people who matter most to you. This category helps you be intentional about connection.

Examples:

• A trip you want to take together

• Traditions you want to start

• Skills or values you want to share with your children

• Ways you want to support or reconnect with extended family

2. Occupation / Career

This includes your professional growth, contributions, and the kind of work you want to be known for. It helps your RAS notice opportunities that support your career path.

Examples:

• Courses or certifications you want to pursue

• Skills you want to develop

• People you want to learn from

• Projects you want to lead or create

3. Recreation / Dreams

These are the fun things—the adventures, curiosities, and experiences that bring joy and energy into your life. They remind you that play matters.

Examples:

• Places you’d love to visit

• Adventures or hobbies you want to try

• Creative pursuits that interest you

• Events or experiences you want to be part of

4. To Be / To Give

This is the heart of the Life List. Who you want to become. How you want to show up. What you want to contribute. This category supports your internal growth and your impact on others.

Examples:

• Qualities you want to strengthen (presence, patience, courage)

• Ways you want to serve your community

• Causes you want to support

• Personal practices you want to deepen

• Relationships you want to nurture

A Personal Example

My Life List has been a living document for years, and it’s helped me stay aware of possibilities I might have overlooked. Some items have already become meaningful memories:

• Write a book — done. I published The Being Equation. Discover Who You Are. Create Who You Want to Be in November of 2021. 

• Spend a month living in another country — done. I have spent a month in both Mexico in 2015 and most recently in Spain, in May of 2025, completing the Camino del Norte, a pilgrimage route of 530 miles across northern Spain (that is the banner image on this blog). 

• Learn to play an instrument — I chose the guitar, and it is now a grounding part of my life.

And there are many I’m still looking forward to:

• Catch a 100-pound tarpon on a fly rod

• Sail across an ocean

• Perform or record a song

Those goals pull me forward. They keep me curious. And just by writing them down, I find myself noticing people, ideas, and opportunities that bring them closer.

A Final Thought

Your Life List is not a scorecard.
It’s a tool for clarity.

When you write down what matters—across your family, your work, your dreams, and who you want to become—you begin to notice the small openings that help you live it.

Your RAS starts supporting you.
Opportunities feel easier to recognize.
Life becomes more intentional and more yours.

It’s a simple practice.
And simple practices often create the most meaningful change.

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