It starts small.
You open your laptop to finish that one work task, but suddenly you’re deep into reorganizing your desktop folders, checking flight prices to nowhere, and watching a 17-minute video on “the psychology of medieval tavern design.” You tell yourself you’re being productive just not at the main thing right now.
Welcome to the era of Side Quest Living where we swear we’re on a hero’s journey, but somehow we’ve spent two hours making iced coffee look cinematic.
Funny how that happens.
The Main Quest: The Story You Think You’re In
Every video game has one: the big storyline. The dragon to slay, the degree to finish, the dream job to chase.
In Main Quest Mode, your actions have direction. Your Google Calendar looks like a patchwork of ambition. You’re chasing goals that, at least in theory, push your story forward.
Main Quest people talk in verbs build, pitch, launch, apply, grind.
They’re allergic to “later.” Their to-do lists look like mission briefings.
If you’ve ever said, “I just need to get through this quarter,” congrats you’re probably in Main Quest Mode.
It’s thrilling but exhausting. Like trying to speedrun life without missing the side scenery.
The Side Quest: Everything That’s Technically Optional but Emotionally Necessary
Then there’s Side Quest Mode.
It’s the one where you start baking bread after one TikTok. Or deep clean your room while “processing your career.” Or walk ten thousand steps to nowhere with a playlist that somehow understands your soul.
Side Quest Mode is what happens when you realize your life can’t just be a spreadsheet of achievements.
It’s rest disguised as distraction. Healing disguised as procrastination.
It’s why some of us will repaint our entire bedrooms before replying to one important email.
But don’t mistake it for failure side quests are often where the real growth happens. You just don’t get an achievement badge for it.
QUIZ ROUND 1: The Warm-Up
Count how many of these feel like your week:
- You’ve read more self-help quotes than actual book chapters.
- You open Notion to plan and end up redesigning the icons.
- You clean your kitchen only when you’re avoiding something emotional.
- You’ve told someone “I’m just figuring things out right now” at least twice this month.
- You have three unfinished online courses and one very detailed skincare routine.
If you said yes to 3 or more:
You’re likely deep in Side Quest Mode, but let’s be real it’s not a bad place to be. Just… maybe finish one quest before unlocking the next.
The Blur Between the Two
Here’s the thing: real life doesn’t have a quest map.
There’s no glowing arrow that says “this way to fulfillment.” Some weeks, your Main Quest is career growth. Other weeks, it’s making sure you actually drink water.
The danger is when we start treating every little moment like it must contribute to “progress.” The gym becomes a metric. Journaling becomes content. Even joy starts feeling productive like we need a reason to rest.
Maybe you’ve noticed it too: we live in a culture that gamifies everything.
Streaks, badges, followers, calories, steps little dopamine pellets to keep us chasing. And somehow, all that progress leaves us feeling strangely… paused.
QUIZ ROUND 2: Reality Check Edition
Which of these sounds most like you lately?
- You keep saying “after this week, I’ll slow down.” (You won’t.)
- Your brain has 47 open tabs none relevant to your actual job.
- You’ve started calling rest “a productivity strategy.”
- You feel guilty when you’re not improving something.
- You can’t remember the last time you did something pointlessly fun.
If you said yes to 4 or 5:
You might be trapped in Main Quest Overdrive. A classic burnout prequel. The boss battle here isn’t the task it’s your inability to log off.
How We Got Stuck Here
Maybe it’s the internet. Maybe it’s capitalism. Maybe it’s that we turned our personalities into portfolios.
But somewhere between “dream big” and “be mindful,” we started living like everything must serve the narrative arc of success.
We collect hobbies like loot. We optimize our downtime. We chase aesthetics instead of presence. And we forget that even in games, the side quests are what make the story memorable.
Nobody remembers the exact moment you hit level 50.
But everyone remembers when you got lost in the forest, found an old NPC, and helped them find their cat.
QUIZ ROUND 3: Choose Your Fighter
Your ideal Sunday looks like:
A. Planning next week’s goals in a color-coded spreadsheet.
B. Losing track of time wandering through random cafes.
C. A mix of both productivity with a touch of chaos.
If you chose A: You’re probably in Main Quest Mode, eyes locked on the big picture. Respect. Just don’t forget to save your progress and your sanity.
If you chose B: Certified Side Quest Adventurer. You find magic in detours. Just remember to check back with the map sometimes.
If you chose C: You’re balanced or indecisive. Depends on the day.
When the Side Quest Becomes the Main Story
Some of the best things in life start as distractions.
Someone doodled between work calls and became an illustrator. Someone baked stress cookies and started a bakery. Someone joined a meme page for fun and found their people.
Maybe you were meant to take that detour. Maybe the “distraction” is just the story finding a new route.
We treat our goals like destinations, but what if they’re just waypoints?
Life isn’t an RPG that ends after one mission. It’s open world. You can circle back, change paths, start over, or just wander until you feel alive again.
QUIZ ROUND 4: Plot Twist Edition
Pick the phrase that hits hardest right now:
A. “I need a win.”
B. “I need a break.”
C. “I need a reason.”
If you chose A you’re chasing validation.
If you chose B you’re craving rest.
If you chose C you’re probably re-evaluating your whole storyline at 3 a.m. (welcome to the club).
The Secret Nobody Tells You About Main Quests
Most people’s “Main Quest” is just what they were told mattered. Graduate. Earn. Marry. Upgrade. Post about it.
But the real main quest might be something quieter. Learning how to sit in your own company without checking your phone. Letting go of someone who doesn’t text back. Taking care of a plant that actually lives.
We keep waiting for the big cinematic turning point when everything makes sense and the soundtrack swells.
But life’s cutscenes are rarely that obvious. Sometimes you only realize you were in one after it ends.
So, Which Mode Are You In?
If your days feel scattered but strangely full Side Quest Mode.
If you’re chasing big goals but forgetting why Main Quest Mode.
If you’re oscillating between the two, welcome to being human.
There’s no right mode. Just moments that ask for different energy.
The trick is knowing when to grind and when to wander. When to chase and when to just… sit by the lake and fish pixels for a while.
Because here’s the secret: every side quest gives you XP.
Every detour teaches something the main story won’t.
And when the credits roll, the only thing that matters is whether you actually enjoyed the game.If this made you pause or smile, explore more playful, thought-provoking quizzes on Trendy Quiz because self-discovery should always feel fun.
