Do You Need a Little “Boring” in Your Life?

I told a family member recently that I thought life should be exciting. It should be an adventure. She looked at me as if I had three heads and simply remarked, “says who?”.

It’s a good question. As I’ve written before, part of the beauty (and frustration) of life is the fact that there’s no user manual. There’s no explicit point to it that we are handed on a tablet. While that opens up an endless amounts of possibilities, it also creates a slinking dread. How do we know if we are on the path?

With the finite time gifted to me on this rock-shaped spaceship hurtling through the universe, I want to push my boundaries, travel as much as possible, fail at new activities and hobbies, and do something scary every day. But with all the obligations and rules society has in place, how do we keep this burning passion alive?

My current philosophy is a bit of reverse psychology: I search for the ways I can tolerate my life being boring. I’m not one for asceticism, but a few measured choices have made my life more invigorating. If I eat the same breakfast every morning (mostly oatmeal, a protein shake, and some fruit) I save enough money and decision-fatigue that I can eat out at more great restaurants for dinner. If I drive a used car instead of a new car, I can pocket the difference for travel. If I tuck away a slightly uncomfortable amount of my paycheck each week to savings and investments, a few years down the line I can have the freedom to make life decisions based on passion not fear. Choosing a handful of deliberately “boring” choices, opens up the world for the avenues I actually want to explore.

A handful of modern day philosophers have espoused the idea that “Discipline is Freedom”. While the idea of discipline seems rigid and boring at first glance, by making a few strategic concessions in life opens up many more possibilities than sacrifices.

I would love to eat breakfast out every morning and drink three lattes throughout the morning, but doing so robs the time and money I desperately want for my deeper passions. So instead I wolf down a bowl of plain oatmeal knowing that bland concoction is an investment in a thrilling choice somewhere down the line.