
Ben Nemtin: Stop Waiting for Motivation and Start Checking Off Your Bucket List Today | Mental Health | YAPClassic
Young and Profiting (YAP) with Hala Taha
- 51m
- Transcript
Summary
Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.
In this classic episode of Young and Profiting, host Hala Taha interviews motivational speaker and author Ben Nemtin about his journey to cross off a massive 100-item bucket list and his mission to help others achieve their dreams. Nemtin discusses his unique upbringing with theatrical parents, his battle with severe depression during his first year of college, and how a pivotal decision to surround himself with inspiring people changed his life. He explains the origins of The Buried Life project, sharing incredible stories of sneaking into red carpets, getting into jail, and playing basketball with President Obama. Throughout the conversation, the guest and host argue that pursuing personal goals is not selfish but a form of service that inspires others, and emphasize the importance of sleep, confronting fear, and using mortality as a motivator to live with intention.
- Make sleep the absolute baseline of your wellness routine by optimizing your environment with tools like earplugs, eye masks, and temperature regulation. 18:45
- Conquer the fear of failure on big personal goals by breaking them down into ten distinct life categories and writing them down to build accountability. 33:49
- Create your own motivation through action rather than waiting for the perfect moment or feeling completely inspired to start. 35:41
- Use mortality as a daily motivator to put your worries in perspective and live intentionally without waiting for a traumatic event to wake you up. 53:28
Chapters
- 0:00Episode Introduction and Sponsorship
The host opens the episode, thanks sponsors, and previews the guest’s bucket‑list journey.
- 1:56Ben Nemtin’s Bucket‑List Mission
Ben explains how his 100‑item list evolved into a lifelong mission to help others achieve their dreams.
- 31:25Overcoming Fear and Building Accountability
Ben shares strategies for turning fear into action, creating accountability, and maintaining momentum.
- 33:54Practical Takeaways for List‑Makers
Ben outlines how to structure a bucket list, set deadlines, and use community support to achieve goals.
- 37:01Real‑World Impact Stories
Ben recounts specific stories, like helping a homeless shelter volunteer and meeting President Obama, illustrating the ripple effect of his work.
- 40:02Closing Reflections and Call to Action
The episode wraps up with Ben encouraging listeners to pursue their dreams, share their goals, and start taking small steps today.
- 43:46Revisiting Impossible Memories
The host and guest reminisce about a seemingly impossible basketball moment that proved their belief in the possible.
- 44:31Belief in Limitless Possibilities
Discussion shifts to the importance of believing life has no limits to unlock potential and achieve goals.
- 45:29From Red Carpet Fails to Success
Guest recounts a humorous attempt to interview Megan Fox and the lessons learned from failure.
- 49:39Future Bucket List Ambitions
The conversation turns to upcoming goals like space travel, making a movie, and appearing on SNL.
- 50:34Promoting the Bucket List Journal
The episode concludes with details on where listeners can purchase the bucket list journal and final thanks.
- 51:41Using Death as a Motivator
Guest explains how reflecting on mortality can drive intentional living and prevent future regrets.
Highlights
- 2:04
The guest explains how a college English poetry assignment sparked a 10-year mission to cross off 100 impossible things before dying.
- 6:12
Crippling College Depressionstory
The guest opens up about experiencing severe anxiety and depression during his first year of college due to intense self-pressure.
- 37:46
The Very First Pizza Deliverystory
The guest shares the story of helping their first stranger, Brent, who wanted to bring pizzas to a homeless shelter after pulling himself out of homelessness.
- 40:59
Playing Basketball With Obamastory
The guest recounts the persistence of emailing the White House and picketing until they finally secured a surprise basketball game with President Obama.
- 45:56
Sneaking Onto Red Carpetsstory
The guest describes using fake media credentials and props to sneak onto red carpets and eventually score a date with Taylor Swift.
- 50:57
The Number One Deathbed Regretdata
The guest cites Cornell research showing that 76 percent of people regret living for expectations rather than their ideal self.
Quotes
“I think we all can think back to moments where there was this pivot.”
Unnamed speaker · 9:33 “You can't do your job if you don't take care of yourself.”
Unnamed speaker · 31:33 “When you are true to yourself, I think you're unstoppable, because you're channeling this, you are the only person that can be you.”
Unnamed speaker · 29:17 “The only way that we cross things off our list is through the help of other people.”
Unnamed speaker · 25:34 “You don't know what's possible until you're actually doing it.”
Unnamed speaker · 44:41 “Write down your goals. It seems simple, but it's a very big step to write down your goals. It makes them real.”
Unnamed speaker · 50:45 “In a world where 76% of the population, their biggest regret on their deathbed is I wish I would have lived for me, not what others expected of me.”
Unnamed speaker · 50:57 “If you think about what's important in your life, you look at the top five regrets of the dying.”
Unnamed speaker · 52:12
Sponsored segments
- Northwest Registered Agent, Whatnot, Mod, and AG1 0:00–0:55
- Northwest Registered Agent 12:00–14:59
- Shopify 25:59–26:59
- GetMark'sBook.com 27:00–29:00
- Amazon 54:47–54:52
About this episode
Ben Nemtin’s mental health unraveled under the pressure to succeed in school and rugby, until anxiety and depression left him unable to function. His recovery started with one choice: surround himself with people who inspired him. That mindset shift led Ben and three friends to create The Buried Life, a mission to pursue 100 bucket-list dreams while helping strangers achieve theirs. Along the way, he discovered how purpose, accountability, and action can move us through fear. In this episode, Ben shares the keys at the intersection of entrepreneurship, mental health, and personal fulfillment: how to uncover buried goals, pursue what truly matters, and build a life with fewer regrets. In this episode, Hala and Ben will discuss: (00:00) Introduction (01:45) How Travel Shaped Ben’s Life Philosophy (04:45) Anxiety, Depression, and Performance Pressure (18:05) Origin of The Buried Life and Bucket List Concept (28:16) Why Chasing Dreams Isn't Selfish (35:39) Helping Strangers Changed the Mission (48:14) The Wildest Dreams Still on Ben’s List (49:25) Write Your Goals, Live Without Regret Ben Nemtin is the co-founder of The Buried Life movement and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Do You Want to Do Before You Die? He is also the author of The Bucket List Journal and starred in MTV’s hit reality series The Buried Life. Ben has been ranked among the world’s top motivational speakers by Global Gurus and has delivered keynotes for organizations including Amazon, Microsoft, FedEx, and Verizon. Sponsored By: Indeed - Get a $75 sponsored job credit to boost your job's visibility at Indeed.com/profiting Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/profiting. Northwest Registered Agent - Get a complete business identity with Northwest. Visit northwestregisteredagent.com/YAPFree and start using free resources to build something amazing. Mindstone - Master practical AI skills without the complexity with Mindstone’s AI Competency Programme. Head to experience.mindstone.com/yap and get 10% off. AT&T Business - Stay connected with reliable, secure internet built for entrepreneurs. Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.com. HoneyLove - Treat yourself to the most advanced bras and shapewear on the market. Save 20% off Honeylove by going to honeylove.com/PROFITING! #honeylovepod Freshbooks - Manage all your business finances in one place. Right now, my listeners can get FreshBooks for less than $3 a month for your first four months — that's 90% off. Head to FreshBooks.com/podcast to get started. Walmart Marketplace - Reach millions of active online shoppers and get ready for holiday demand. Apply to sell today at marketplace.walmart.com/yap. AG1 - Get a daily health drink that helps maintain energy, support gut health, and support immune health, all in one simple scoop. And for a limited time, save 20% on your first subscription order of AG1 Next Gen or AG1 Pro at DRINKAG1.com/PROFITING. Resources Mentioned: Ben’s Book: What Do You Want To Do Before You Die?: bit.ly/-BuriedLife Ben’s Website: bennemtin.com/ Ben’s Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/bennemtin/ Ben’s Instagram: instagram.com/bennemtin/ Ben’s Facebook: facebook.com/bennemtin Active Deals - youngandprofiting.com/deals Key YAP Links Reviews - ratethispodcast.com/yap YouTube - youtube.com/c/YoungandProfiting Newsletter - youngandprofiting.co/newsletter LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/htaha/ Instagram - instagram.com/yapwithhala/ Social + Podcast Services: yapmedia.com Transcripts - youngandprofiting.com/episodes-new Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Podcast, Business, Business Podcast, Self Improvement, Self-Improvement, Personal Development, Starting a Business, Strategy, Investing, Sales, Selling, Psychology, Productivity, Entrepreneurs, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Marketing, Negotiation, Money, Finance, Side Hustle, Startup, Mental Health, Career, Leadership, Mindset, Health, Growth Mindset, Wellness, Biohacking, Motivation, Manifestation, Brain Health, Life Balance, Self-Healing, Positivity, Happiness, Sleep, Diet
Transcript
11,390 words · 2 speakers
Topics
- The Buried Life
- AG1
- Greece
- The Bucket List Journal
- Canada
- Rugby
- AG1 Next Gen
- New York Times
- Sweden
Page updated · transcript and summary are machine-generated