Why I’m No Longer Punishing My Brain for Wandering (Issue 189)
Welcome to the Side Questing Life
“Why do I feel guilty about exploring and learning too many new things?”
I’ve recently entered an interesting phase of life.
I’m acutely aware of my mortality—for many reasons.
I left my primary career behind way back in 2010, after decades of investing in that path and achieving some success (not everything I wanted, but enough).
I slid into self-employed semi-retirement about 10 years ago, without fully realizing that I was doing so.
I have more time freedom and flexibility than ever before, which felt strange at first, but now feels exhilarating.
Recently, I have found myself drawn to old hobbies, interests, and activities that I forced myself to abandon in childhood. I had been told that they were not practical enough to help me make a living (e.g., being a writer, artist, or musician), so I felt bad about spending time on them. Well, now they’re back in my life again!
My brain is buzzing with new ideas and interests, too. I am certain I have ADHD, but fought to keep it under control for most of my life. Various strategies and tools have helped me manage things, but I’m now questioning why I have worked so hard to crush my endless curiosity and hunger for exploration.
Why do we feel we must be so productive every day?
What’s wrong with letting ourselves become distracted by things we encounter?
Why can’t we indulge our eager brains and let them explore new ideas, information, and activities?
So, I’m challenging the notion that our hyperactive minds are insubordinate beasts that we must tame into submission. We were not put on this earth to fit into little structured boxes of existence. I refuse to believe that hundreds of thousands of years of evolution have created some flawed organism with broken behavior.
There is a reason we think and behave the way we do.
There is a reason we bridle at the constraints of modern society.
There is a reason we feel drawn to novelty, exploration, and so-called distractions.
I’m tired of feeling guilty about my desire to learn and try new things. I will no longer punish myself for going “off task” and exploring new ideas every day. I will not bow down to the god of productivity, no matter how many books and articles try to sell me on the idea of becoming the most hyper-productive hustle bro in human history.
Therefore, I am shifting the focus of this newsletter and podcast to embrace a new concept that hit me the other day. It came about as I caught myself thinking, “Shoot. I have been so distracted by side quests today. I need to focus and be more productive!”
Then I asked myself…
“Why? Why is this primary task more important than the side quests, especially at this point in my life? I no longer have an employer. We have raised our kids, and they are out of the house. I’m growing older, and I do not know how many years I have left. Why am I still so focused on being productive and denying myself the sheer joy of exploration and the endless wonders of this life and world?”
Right then and there, I embraced the idea of pursuing a “Side Questing Life” from now on. And that will become the new name for this newsletter and podcast. It is both a noun phrase and a verb. I’m going to share the journey and joy of living a side-questing life, and I want to share how you can find fun ways to side-quest your own life.
As I mentioned earlier, I am sure I have been struggling with ADHD my entire life. When I encounter something new, I can’t help but go deep and learn everything I can about it. I love exploring new hobbies and trying things out. Some stick, some don’t, and that’s okay! The reward is the journey, the learning, and the experience—not the outcome.
Also, it now feels so good to unload the guilt and stress of loving to explore side quests. It’s almost as if I have stopped trying to swim upstream, turned around, and let the flow take me where my curious mind wants to go. Some things that have recently happened because of this mental shift:
I started sketching and painting again.
I found my old harmonica (lost for over 10 years) and started playing again.
I’m dusting off my guitars, getting ready to restring them, and will play again.
My creative writing has kicked into high gear, and I’m writing more fiction.
The decluttering activities have unlocked my procrastination and resistance to dealing with long-standing issues.
I found some other cool things that went “missing” over 10 years ago.
My willingness to be distracted and pulled into side quests helped me uncover a potentially disastrous issue and deal with it immediately. Nice payoff!
So, this is all going to translate into a curiosity-driven newsletter aimed at people who are also interested in stepping off the productivity treadmill and leading a more spontaneous, interesting, and adventurous life. We will share our new finds with you as we dive deeper into travel, cuisines, cool discoveries, and interesting concepts.
We’re going on an adventure and want to bring you along!
You only live once, and your time runs out more quickly than you think. Take it from a guy who is hitting 60 this year. So don’t let your curiosity and unexplored desires follow you to the grave. Feed your hungry mind with the delightful treats it wants!
📞 Schedule a free call with me if you want to chat about how you can make side quests a bigger part of your life.
Larry Cornett, Ph.D. | Empowerment coach, psychologist, nature lover, and fitness freak. I help you escape the “hustle trap” to create an empowered side-questing life that fits who you are and what you want most. From Silicon Valley exec to self-employed entrepreneur, I’ve also followed this path to freedom, so now I can help others find their way.
➡️ Want to find your path? Book a free call with me!
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