Side Quests IRL: Playing Your Life Like an Open World RPG
Our primary goals and ambitions often command the spotlight throughout our lives, driving the narrative forward like a main quest in an epic adventure. Yet, the side quests, unexpected detours, and unplanned explorations imbue our journey with depth, color, and richness that the straight path could never offer.
Side quests IRL (in real life) are not mere distractions or detours; they are integral chapters of our personal growth, offering lessons, joys, and insights that shape the protagonists we become.
Imagine life as an open-world RPG where the main quest is clear: career success, personal development, love in various forms, and meaningful relationships.
But as any seasoned gamer knows, the side quests often yield the most memorable experiences and valuable rewards. These are the spontaneous road trips with no destination in mind; the hobby picked up on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and the volunteer work that started as a one-time commitment but evolved into a passion.
These experiences might not directly contribute to our primary objectives, but they enrich our lives unexpectedly, providing skills, memories, and relationships that support and enhance our main journey.
The Value of Side Quests
Sidequesting teaches us flexibility and resilience. Taking the scenic route can seem counterintuitive in a world that often values efficiency and directness. Yet, these detours teach us to adapt to new situations, problem-solve creatively, and bounce back from the unexpected. These qualities are invaluable in navigating life's challenges and contributing to our success in our main quests.
Moreover, side quests offer opportunities for discovery and learning that we might not encounter on the beaten path. They allow us to explore new interests, develop diverse skills, and meet people with different perspectives. This broadening of our horizons makes our lives more interesting and can spark new ideas and solutions for challenges in our primary quests.
The idea of side quests leading to significant achievements or insights is a recurring theme in the lives of many accomplished individuals across diverse domains. These side quests often commence as hobbies, interests, or volunteer endeavors, deviating from their primary career paths or life objectives. However, in due course, they emerge as pivotal forces that mold their professional trajectories and personal philosophies. Here are a few illustrations:
1. Steve Jobs and Calligraphy: Long before the iconic Macintosh computer came into existence, Steve Jobs found himself captivated by the art of calligraphy at Reed College despite officially dropping out. This aesthetic fascination seemed unrelated to technology at the time. Yet, it profoundly influenced the development of Macintosh's groundbreaking typefaces and user interface, showcasing how an artistic side quest can redefine technological paradigms and forever alter personal computing.
2. Jeff Bezos and His Interest in Space: As a child, Jeff Bezos's imagination was captured by the final frontier—space. This childhood fascination laid the groundwork for Blue Origin, a monumental leap toward commercial space travel. Bezos's journey from a young space enthusiast to the founder of a pioneering aerospace manufacturer and sub-orbital spaceflight services company illustrates how a passion, no matter how grandiose, can become a reality with vision and perseverance.
3. J.K. Rowling and Teaching English: Before the world of Hogwarts enchanted millions, J.K. Rowling ventured to Portugal to teach English. This chapter of her life, seemingly a diversion from her literary aspirations, enriched her storytelling arsenal, gifting her a deeper appreciation for linguistic nuances and cultural narratives. The spellbinding prose of the "Harry Potter" series, beloved by readers globally, owes a part of its magic to Rowling's experiences amidst the history and language of Portugal.
4. Pierre Omidyar and Collectibles: Before eBay became a household name, Pierre Omidyar was simply a software engineer with a fascination for collectibles. His side quest to create an online platform for his then-girlfriend to trade Pez dispensers spiraled into one of the internet's first and most successful auction sites. This leap from a personal project to a global marketplace underscores the potential impact of pursuing interests and solving problems outside one's main career path.
5. Elon Musk and Video Games: Long before SpaceX and Tesla, a young Elon Musk sold a video game he coded called Blastar to a computer magazine. This early venture into game development was a precursor to his interest in software and technology, eventually guiding him towards revolutionary projects in electric vehicles and space exploration. Musk's initial dabbling in video games highlights how early passions can signal and shape future endeavors.
Embracing Side Quests
To benefit from side quests, we must be willing to explore, to say "yes" to opportunities that arise, even when they don't seem immediately relevant to our main goals. It requires a mindset that values growth and experience over strict adherence to a predefined path.
But embracing side quests doesn't mean losing focus or direction. On the contrary, it's about integrating these experiences into our larger journey, allowing them to inform and enhance our primary objectives. It's about recognizing that the skills we develop, the people we meet, and the passions we discover can all contribute to our main quest in ways we might not initially see.
Finding Your Side Quests
So how do you find side quests in your own life? Start by paying attention to your curiosities and interests. What are you drawn to outside of your main goals? It could be a topic you've always wanted to learn more about, a place you've wanted to visit, or a skill you've wanted to develop. These interests can be the starting point for your side quests.
Next, be open to opportunities that come your way, even (or especially) if they seem unrelated to your main objectives. Say yes to the invitation to volunteer, join the community class, or participate in the local event. Each of these can be the beginning of a side quest that adds value to your life.
Finally, don't underestimate the power of small side quests. Not every detour needs to be a grand adventure. Sometimes, the most impactful side quests are simple: the afternoon spent exploring a new neighborhood, the evening learning to cook a new dish, and the weekend building furniture. These experiences, while small, can provide a sense of accomplishment, joy, and discovery that enriches our lives.
Default to Action
As someone with ADHD, I’ve been going on side quests my entire life. I’ve launched a swipe-based app, a digital endeavor to connect students with study buddies. It crashed and burned gloriously.
I then developed a typewriter app tailored for the Instagram poetry community. That effort turned out better than the first, resulting in a small but steady flow of passive income.
Since I was a teenager, my wildest dreams have been related to writing—especially fiction. Though my early poetry books were far from perfect, they represented the raw, unfiltered essence of my thoughts at the time.
I lived in Lebanon for almost four years. Being in the Middle East broadened my horizons and deepened my understanding of the nuances of human connection across cultures.
My first corporate job out of college was in a Calabasas office that felt like a cross between "Wolf of Wall Street" and "Mad Men." As a copywriter, the fast-paced environment honed my ability to craft compelling narratives under pressure, each campaign a lesson in persuasion and the impact of words.
My digital journey continued with roles that ranged from building websites to working as an SEO specialist, link-builder, and content writer for ZipRecruiter.
“Falling Up in The City of Angels,” an autofiction novel, was the first concrete project I completed, where I felt immersed in the main quest. I felt that again with "Spellbound Under The Spanish Moss," a southern fantasy novel I co-authored with my dad Kevin N. Garrett. Working on its prequel and sequel, alongside a Southern Gothic short story collection, allows me to explore storytelling within a shared universe.
Through it all, I co-founded Lucid House Publishing, a book publishing company, and Publish Profitably, a content marketing agency.
With its successes and setbacks, this journey has been anything but linear. Yet, in this non-linearity, I've found the greatest growth, continuously learning, adapting, and refining my understanding of the world and my place within it. Each side quest, each default to action, has brought me closer to understanding my main quest, taught me the value of embracing the journey itself, and helped me to develop my anti-niche.
Integrating Side Quests into Your Main Quest
Side quests involve reflection and synthesis, taking the lessons, skills, and experiences from our detours and applying them to our primary goals. A hobby developed during a side quest could spark a new business idea. A volunteer experience could provide insights into a personal challenge. Or a skill learned on a whim could become invaluable in a professional context.
The key is to remain open to the possibilities and to view each side quest as an essential part of your journey. By doing so, you can build a life that is varied, rich, deeply fulfilling, and successful by conventional measures.
Real-life side quests are more than just a break from the routine; they are opportunities for growth, discovery, and joy. By embracing these detours, we can enhance our main quest and become more resilient, well-rounded, and fulfilled individuals. So the next time you encounter a potential side quest, consider taking it. You never know what rewards, lessons, or adventures await on these unpaved paths.
