Why I Love a Side Quest

Today’s edition of Wishful Working is a 4 minute read.

I’ve never been much of a gamer, but I bought a Nintendo Switch a few years ago — my first console since the GameBoy Advance SP I got when I was 13 — and I enjoy playing “cozy games” because they are low-stakes, relaxing, and cute.

This week, I’ve been obsessed with a cozy game called Big Farm Story. It’s almost ironic: As my husband, a real-life farmer, started harvesting real-life crops with his family, I’ve been growing virtual crops, raising virtual livestock, and running errands for my virtual neighbors. 

Like most games, Big Farm Story has a central storyline, and it also offers optional challenges, activities, and side quests. Sometimes, even the side quests have side quests.

For example, I can’t make a blanket for Lydia until I have a sheep that produces wool, but I can’t get a sheep until I have enough logs to upgrade my barn, and I can’t harvest the right logs until I upgrade my ax.

These little quests and objectives make the game compelling and addictive, and they’ve made me realize something about myself:

I fckn love a side quest. In games and in real life.

I love a little errand or activity or chore to break up my day and distract me from my “main” work. These side quests often lead to interesting conversations and observations. They get me out of my head long enough for new ideas to take residence.

A distraction can feel counterintuitive, especially if you’ve got looming deadlines, but regularly deviating from your primary “storyline” or routine is refreshing and can give you a creative boost.

A side quest doesn’t have to be a big deal. I live in a small town in the middle of nowhere, so my options for errands outside the house are…limited. As such, I often complete side quests without even leaving my house:

• Sweep the kitchen

• Rearrange a bookshelf

• Strum my ukulele

• Paint my toenails

• Hang a picture over my desk

• Doodle or do a craft

• Play with my cat

• Fold a load of laundry

• Chat with a friend

If you’d like to get out of the house, going for a walk, getting groceries, returning a book to the library, thrift shopping, going to the gym, and getting a little treat are all excellent side quest options.

A side quest doesn’t strictly have to be a productive task, but I find I get an extra motivational boost when it feels like I’ve accomplished something. That motivation often carries into the rest of the day and helps me maintain momentum when I return to my “main” work. 

Finally, breaking up the work day with small distractions and chores and reframing them as side quests is a way to gamify and romanticize my quiet, ordinary little life and enjoy each day, no matter how mundane.

And who doesn’t want more joy?

See you next week,

Kara

Wishful Working is inspired by my desire to see more people enjoy a life not centered around work. For some, the path to freedom and flexibility is through self-employment, but we also need to challenge cultural norms and champion healthier working conditions and work/life balance for all types of workers.

Who am I? I’m a freelance writer and entrepreneur based in small-town Saskatchewan. I write longform content for B2B clients, and I help founders and independents name their brands and projects through a new venture called Naming. Connect with me by replying to this email or finding me on LinkedIn or Twitter.