It’s Okay to Be Bored

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

We have different seasons in our lives.

There’s a college season. Filled with homework, parties, tests, and sports.

There’s a new college grad season. Having an ego, wanting to move up quickly in the workforce.

An entrepreneurship season. The grind, working as long as your eyes will stay open. Pushing through someone quitting, rehiring, closing sales, and making product decisions.

Other times, it’s a family season. A family member may be sick or just spending quality time together over the holidays.

And if you exited your business, life takes a turn into a new season too. Things get very different. Although you may be financially secure, the craving for action and what’s next creates anxiety.

I’m not convinced we really want action though. That’s just inertia speaking. It’s the years of toiling away at problem after problem. To take it a step further, I think it takes a few years of decompressing to understand what we really out of everyday.

My first year after selling, I wanted do something immediately.

Time to build! Or wait, should I be an investor?

Let’s start a new app, I’ll crack open my Ideas doc. Should I buy an app? Everyone’s talking about acquiring micro-SaaS companies.

I ended up taking the first two years slowly. And not doing much of anything. I’ve enjoyed being by the ocean, surfing, saying yes more often to get-togethers, seeing family, being more present, helping my wife in her career, taking photos, and just being bored.

I’m glad I didn’t commit to anything career-wise though.

I still get the itch. The craving to grow a business and create real value for customers and investors. Why not dive back in? But that’s inertia speaking!

I’ve been writing down the things that give me joy during a week. So far I have:

• Morning surf

• Gym / strength training

• Being available when my wife comes home

• Having time flexibility to take last minute trips

• Saying “yes” to experiences more, even as small as lunch with friends

• Ability to be home with family longer without distraction

• Thinking through business problems fellow entrepreneurs have

• Writing on this blog

I wrote them down because it’s easy to let inertia take ahold and jump back into a business.

What I’m realizing is, It’s okay to be bored.

It won’t last forever. Nothing generally does, it changes in seasons.

In fact, this season may never happen again. My wife and I might have kids, she could get busy with her business, my parents’ health may decline and need more help. Who knows!

But for now, I’m accepting that it’s okay to be bored.