The Invisible List

A radical guide to pursuing the things you never thought you had time for, right now—from a restless entrepreneur who overcame burnout by devoting himself to one new passion, every year.

We all have an “invisible list” of things we say we’ll do when we finally have the time: learn guitar, take up tennis, write a book, get our French from rusty to passable. But life—jobs, families, the obligations of being a person—always get in the way. The Invisible List is a blueprint for finally making those goals real. And the first step? Giving yourself permission.

From educator and entrepreneur Ravi Gupta comes a bold, inspiring approach to resurrecting your passions, no matter how limited your time or money. After realizing that he had stopped doing anything for the sheer love of it, Gupta shifted course and decided to dedicate one full year to becoming competent in one of his long-deferred hobbies. No quitting allowed. It soon became a yearly pursuit that has included taking on screenwriting, surfing, and powerlifting—and led him to find new friends, new focus, and to discover he is never “too old” to learn new things. Drawing on his successes as well as setbacks, he shares how to create and fulfill your own invisible list, introducing concepts like:

THE LAUNCH PAD: A building block skill that gets you in shape for more challenging years.
THE ANYWHERE, ANYTIME: An easy to access, afford, and practice pursuit.
THE SUSTAINABLE SPORT: A new sport or exercise that you can enjoy for years to come.
THE MENTAL MARATHON: A mind-sharpening hobby that grows your memory.
THE SEQUEL: A return to a previous passion, but taking it somewhere new.
THE BIG ONE: Takes a lot of time and resources—not impossible, but requires planning.
THE GIVE BACK: A pursuit that builds community, empathy, and relationships.

Part memoir, part guidebook, part manifesto, The Invisible List illustrates how to create a life worth living.