Why I Choose to Be Boring (And You Should Too)

I'm the most boring 23-year-old you'll ever meet. I'm in bed by 9 pm, 90% of the time. I spend weekends catching up on reading. I keep the same daily routines. I rotate through the same meals. And I used to be embarrassed to admit this.

But I've come to realize that there's nothing wrong with being boring. In fact, the most abundant lives are often the most boring from the outside looking in. My life still feels very full, even if it doesn't always look exciting.

There is a time and place for packed schedules, big goals, constant growth, new experiences, side hustles, and bucket lists. But do you ever stop to ask yourself if you're doing all of this because you actually want to, or because you think you ought to?

We've confused stimulation with fulfillment. Social media and the internet reward novelty: look at this vacation I just took my family on! Look at my weight transformation! Look at how much fun I'm having! Nobody posts "I did the same thing I did yesterday, and it was great."

Personally, I've noticed a quiet anxiety underneath it all: if my life doesn't look exciting, I must be wasting it. But that's so not true!

Here's what my "boring" looks like:

• An exercise routine that I look forward to that brings energy to my day and gets me in the right frame of mind

• A corporate 9-5 job that I absolutely LOVE that fulfills me and gives me purpose, challenge, and growth

• Hobbies like reading that make me laugh, smile, and keep me learning...all while helping me stay calm and present

• Saving money to invest wisely and spend on future experiences, so I can maximize what matters instead of filling my life with stuff

• Tiny rituals that bring me mounds of joy: my warm morning chai latte (decaf, of course), a weekly date night at my favorite casual restaurant, listening to my favorite podcast, planning for the week ahead on a quiet Sunday morning...

  
  

But enough about me. What should you do with this information?

• Create routines that remove the daily negotiation of "what should I do" and allow you to be present and live

• Repeat things that work instead of constantly searching for something better

• Enjoy small, unremarkable moments (morning coffee, a familiar walk, cooking dinner, reading before bed) without needing them to be "more"

• Say no to things that sound exciting but leave you drained

• Ask yourself what you really want out of life and what you truly value, and live aligned with that instead of following everyone else

  
  

I've learned that there's a confidence in choosing the unremarkable. And it works with your health, too. Sticking to the same healthy meals you enjoy, going on the same walks, and showing up every day at the same gym. Not because it's optimal, but because it's sustainable and it frees up your brain for what truly matters to you!

What if "boring" was just...peace?