This is a pretty weird article to write about. How can one be bored with life? There’s so much to do, so much to see, so much to experience. We can’t fit it all in one lifetime. There should be no reason for a person to be bored.
But yet, some still get in this state of boredom with their lives.
They’re not depressed.
They’re not apathetic.
They’re not in a rut.
They’re just…bored.
They’re in this place in their lives where they’re not moving back or forward. Just standing still. And it might’ve been nice for a couple of days when they chose to relax, but now it just keeps on dragging on and on and there’s no inertia whatsoever nor is there any will or desire to get out of it so it’s like they’re stuck in some sort of twilight/phantom zone.
The usual advice is go do something new like watch a movie, go out with friends, eat at a new place but that only serves to mask the issue and temporarily delay confronting the issue at heart.
So what’s the answer to all this?
How can we get to the core of this problem?
The answer is kind of obvious to an outsider who’s not in this state but to a person who is in this state of boredom with life – his eyes are too close to the trees to see the answer.
The answer is simply to CHALLENGE YOURSELF.
Now for those who aren’t bored with their lives, this sounds like the most obvious answer in the world but to those who are bored with their lives – this is one of those “of course! how could I not see this!” moments in their lives.
When you’re not challenged, it’s easy to fall into this state of boredom in your life. You’ve got no spark. No drive. No eye of the tiger. You lose your hunger for life.
Here’s an easy example to illustrate this point.
Next time your company hires a new person at work, see how they act.
Eager beavers aren’t they?
A new job is exciting and challenging. Much to learn, much to do.
Compare that with someone who has been working in a company for years now and has mastered his/her duties. It’s easy for that person to get bored.
Challenge yourself.
Take on a new project that inspires you. Get back to doing what you love to do. For many, this may be the key because when you’re not doing what you love to do, it’s easy to get bored. You have no challenges to confront. Usually what you love doing involves using what you know you can do well with and applying those skills and talents to create something new. You’re challenged when you do what you love to do automatically.
Take up gardening. Learn a musical instrument. Try stand up. These are not just one time temporary distractions.
These are projects that have built in challenges in all stages along the way.
And I don’t mean to say take on these projects at random. Just see what interests you. What gets the blood moving again within you. What gets you excited. Find out what you truly want to do just for the sake of doing it. Learn French, Italian, Russian. Cook. Write the next great American novel.
It’s SO obvious but it needs to be said.
When you tackle these projects and start progressing through the challenges built within them, you get excited. You get that zest for life once again.
And when you master it, you’ll tend to fall into that state of boredom again.
We experience so many cycles in life, so many highs and lows that it’s important to recognize where we are within those cycles and act accordingly.
Don’t be afraid of the boredom. Know that it’s a low point in the cycle and then take on challenges to move back up.
But when you’re in the state of boredom, you don’t see this clearly. You’re like a zombie. Just stuck in this state with no inertia.
Get back into motion by challenging yourself.
Grow.
It’s in that process that we’ll find ourselves never bored again.
