Every person has events take place when they are younger that shape and guide how they lead the rest of their life. For me, one such event took place in the early 1980s, just after I sold my first company. Without going into all the details, suffice it to say that I had a close brush with my own mortality, and it made me rethink my priorities and how I planned to lead my life going forward. At the time, I wasn’t exactly sure what it meant to live life on offense, but I decided that a good place to start was by giving myself a scorecard – a tool that I could use to make sure that I accomplish everything I want to with my life. I spent the next few days writing down all of my personal and professional goals and there are 101 items on the list. So far I’ve managed to check off 74 of them, and I fully intend to do the rest, although going into outer space may be a bit of a reach.Over the years, I’ve encouraged many people, friends and strangers alike, to create their own lists, to chart out their own goals and dreams and to always live their lives on offense.
| I | Family Matters | ||
| 1 | Fall in love and get married |  |
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| 2 | Have a healthy son | |
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| 3 | Have a healthy daughter | |
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| 4 | Take care of mother/father | |
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| 5 | Take care of in-laws | |
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| 6 | Take care of extended family | |
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| 7 | Have grandchildren | ||
| 8 | Have great-grandchildren | ||
| 9 | Leave trusts for family members | |
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| 10 | Leave all financial matters in great shape for family members upon passing on | ||
| 11 | Have children become individuals and self-actualized staying loving within the family | ||
| II | Financial Matters | ||
| 12 | Pay off college debts | |
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| 13 | Net worth of ten million dollars, after taxes | |
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| 14 | Net worth of one hundred million dollars, after taxes | |
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| 15 | Net worth of one billion dollars, after taxes | ||
| 16 | Zero personal debt for family | |
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| 17 | Make ten million dollars on an outside investment | |
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| 18 | Become a partner in a venture capital fund | |
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| 19 | Create one billion dollars in value with an outside investment | |
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| 20 | Start a company and sell it | |
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| 21 | Conduct an IPO on a company I founded | |
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| 22 | Create world’s largest media company | |
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| III | Possessions | ||
| 23 | Own a beach home that stays in family | |
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| 24 | Own a jet | |
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| 25 | Own a yacht | |
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| 26 | Own a convertible Porsche or Mercedes Benz | |
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| 27 | Own a mountain home that stays in the family | ||
| 28 | Own a great piece of art | |
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| 29 | Own a great personal collection of watches | |
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| 30 | Own a Ferrari | |
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| 31 | Restore an antique auto | |
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| 32 | Own a restaurant or club | |
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| 33 | Support someone who makes a great breakthrough in science or art | ||
| IV | Charities | ||
| 34 | Change someone’s life via a charity | |
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| 35 | Give one million dollars to Georgetown University/sit on BOD | |
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| 36 | Major impact on a children’s charity | |
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| 37 | Start a family charity foundation | |
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| 38 | Give away one hundred million dollars in lifetime | ||
| 39 | Have a building/perpetual memorial named after the family | |
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| V | Sports | ||
| 40 | Own a sports franchise (basketball, hockey or football) | |
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| 41 | Win a world championship | ||
| 42 | Go to a Superbowl with Dolphins or Redskins | |
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| 43 | Go to a Final Four with Georgetown | |
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| 44 | Go to a World Series with Yankees | |
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| 45 | Meet Mickey Mantle | |
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| 46 | Catch a foul ball | |
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| 47 | Go to an NBA All-Star Game | |
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| 48 | Go to an NBA Draft | |
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| 49 | Go to an NHL All-Star Game | |
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| 50 | Go to a Capitals Stanley Cup | |
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| 51 | Go to Olympics | |
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| 52 | Play Augusta | |
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| 53 | Play Pebble Beach | |
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| 54 | Play Cypress Point | |
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| 55 | Play St. Andrews | ||
| 56 | Go to Ryder Cup | |
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| 57 | Go to US Open Golf Tourney | |
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| 58 | Go to World Cup | ||
| 59 | Get a hole-in-one | ||
| 60 | Play in a celebrity golf tournament | ||
| 61 | Go to a US Open Tennis Final | |
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| 62 | Go to baseball All-Star Game | |
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| 63 | Go to a Fantasy Camp | ||
| 64 | Shoot baskets at Madison Square Garden or Boston Garden | |
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| 65 | Go one-on-one with Michael Jordan | |
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| VI | Travel | ||
| 66 | Go to Greece | |
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| 67 | Go to Italy | |
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| 68 | Go to Israel/Jerusalem | |
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| 69 | Go to Hawaii | |
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| 70 | Go on safari to Africa | ||
| 71 | Go to London | |
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| 72 | Go to Paris | |
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| 73 | Go to Australia | ||
| 74 | Sail thru Caribbean | |
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| 75 | Sail thru Mediterranean | |
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| 76 | Go to China | |
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| 77 | Go to Brazil | |
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| 78 | Go to Alaska | ||
| 79 | Go to Egypt | |
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| 80 | Go to Bali | ||
| 81 | Go to Tahiti | ||
| VII | Stuff | ||
| 82 | Be on cover of a magazine | |
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| 83 | Produce a TV show | |
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| 84 | Go into outerspace | ||
| 85 | Write a book | |
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| 86 | Invent a boardgame | |
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| 87 | Make a movie | |
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| 88 | Win a Grammy/Oscar/Tony/Emmy Award | |
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| 89 | Swim with dolphins | |
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| 90 | Swim with Great White sharks | ||
| 91 | Get an honorary degree | |
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| 92 | Hold elective office | |
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| 93 | Go to White House/Meet President | |
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| 94 | Advise a foreign government | |
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| 95 | Live overseas for one year | ||
| 96 | Go to Oscar ceremonies | ||
| 97 | Go to MTV Awards Show | |
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| 98 | See the Rolling Stones | |
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| 99 | See the Who | |
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| 100 | Take a year sabbatical | ||
| 101 | Sail around the world with family | ||
Geia sou Ted,
thank you for sharing all this with everyone.
I have heard about you from a mutual greek american friend the is between CT and LA.
It is really awesome to have people like you to look up to while our country is in this terrible situation!
Keep well, healthy and happy with the ones you love!
All best
Dimitris
PS: I can help you with at least a couple of your unchecked goals.
The one is Alaska…
Hi Mr. Ted!
I saw your book in a booksale store and after browsing a bit I decided to buy that and I’m very glad I did.
I am already on chapter twelve on my reading and you have no idea how excited I am to go back to reading every 5:00 a.m. and in every spare time of the day even before bed time actually.
I am very much motivated with your writings or should I say your life experiences specially your quest towards happiness. I share with my wife everything that I learn from your book “Business of Happiness” specially the line that says “It is not success that brings happiness, it is happiness that brings success” . Forgive me with my paraphrasing.
I found so much motivation in the things I do because I found its higher calling. And the same higher calling thing, I share to my friend in the community where I am part of.
I’m so thankful to whoever that person was, that sold your book in the booksale store here in the Philippines that happened to be in my hand now. This so far is one of the best book I ever read and I will make it a point that my children would read it too. (If there will be no more issuance of this)
Now, included in my list is to see you and have you sign this wonderful book of yours.
Stay blessed! And keep living your highest calling.
One of the millions you inspired,
Jaylord
Hi Ted! Wow…I am totally awed with your accomplishments and your Bucket list. I think I will now make a list and hope I am half as successful at mine as you have been with yours. I used to see you at Skate Quest in Reston when our sons played each other in Ice Hockey. I got a kick out of how you appeared not to be really watching while reading the newspaper but never missed a shot or hit made by or to your son. I wish I had said hello and gotten to know you better then. Anyway…one of my numbers will be to meet you and your wife, Lynn and get to know you better. Have a great year! Lets go Caps!!!
A hockey mom…
Kimber
Hi Ted, you forgot one,
WIN a Stanley Cup! “Go to” isnt the same.
In addition, you should join your season ticket holders going to the Winter Olympics in Sochi 2014 to cheer on Ovie. That will be an amazing trip. Russia is beautiful.