Words of Advice: Don't Get Too Comfortable

Have you ever heard of a side quest?

“Don’t get too comfortable, or you won’t be ready for what’s next.” It’s a phrase I learned from a former coworker way back when I lived in New York City almost 10 years ago. As we go through life we ebb and flow through periods of comfort and discomfort. But it serves as a reminder that we should never get too comfortable or we won’t be ready to make a change or take a leap when the time comes.

The past two months I’ve been finally feeling in the groove again. I started working with a creativity coach, started kickboxing almost every day, worked on my book, launched new business ideas, sparked new creative projects, read a lot, and hung out with friends who just moved back to town. Just when I was finally starting to feel like I’d found my rhythm again, boom. Life threw a couple of decisions and choices that sent me off on another life tangent. Tangents are what make life fun and keep it interesting.

Side Quests

The other day with some friends we were talking about our side-projects, you know those projects a lot of people do for fun outside of regular work. But I accidentally called them “side quests”. Instead of correcting me, my friend laughed and said she loved the idea of side quests. Life is full of these little quests that take us off the beaten path.

In January I sought a little help with trying to make sense of all my side quests and side projects and started working with a creativity coach. (Shoutout, Cecily of Typewriter Tarot). She’s been helping remind me that life is about cycles. We can’t have everything all the time. There are times for planting, for nourishing, for harvesting. There are times for grounding yourself at home and there are times for roaming the world. There are times for going hard on 50Ks and Ironmans, and there are times for slowing down or trying something new.

Speaking of side quests and cycles, just when I was getting used to the cycle of grounding at home, life said, “plot twist, think fast!” This past week sent me on another life tangent, this time across the ocean to the first place I ever called home, Colombia.

But the choice itself— booking a flight to Colombia — holds within a bunch of other side quests (which you may hear about later). The decision impacted that routine I mentioned at the beginning, that I was getting comfortable in again.

But in spirit of staying ready for what’s next, maybe it’s time for a new cycle to begin. A new season that may lead us off our original path for a little while into a detour. Life is better when you take the long way home, after all.

Life’s Greatest Dichotomy

Life is the greatest dichotomy. This alchemic equation we all try to figure out every day of just how much is actually in our control and how much isn’t. I think oftentimes when we are living in auto-pilot cycles, we forget that we DO have control over a lot of choices. But we also have to remember to surrender to what we can’t change. It’s the yin and yang. Internal and external. I’m learning that the important thing is making the choice. Whether that choice is allowing the universe to unfold, or the choice to nudge your life a little in the direction you want. Most times, it’s a little bit of both.

I’ll leave you with this question— what areas of your life do you find yourself getting too comfortable in? Maybe you’ve lived in the same house or city all your life… ask yourself “what if”… what if you considered a change. Or maybe it’s changing up your route to work. Or maybe it’s exploring new friend groups or a new hobby.

This week I’m thinking a lot about how we can both enjoy the present moment while also being ready for what’s next. Moments when we experience changes in life, are perhaps the greatest moments to pause and reflect on how far we’ve come and where we want to go next.

Thanks for reading, and as always, I welcome any thoughts and comments! Feel free to share below!