Maybe you should embark on a quest?

Last night I stumbled upon a gem of a YouTube video. It was linked in a post recommended by one of the few newsletters I receive – I am pedantic about my inbox and only sign up to the best newsletters.

Anyway, the YouTube video was a talk by Chris Guillebeau at the Google offices on his book “The Happiness of Pursuit” and how embarking on a quest can add value to your life.

I highly recommend watching the video. I am going to be ordering the book too, Chris really made some sense. In fact, this video was published in 2014 and I am pretty sure I have watched it before, but this time it spoke to a need I have. A need for some direction, some clarity.

The thing about a quest is it needs to be a grand scheme, yes, but it first and foremost needs to be something you really want to do. Something you are passionate on.

Running the Comrades marathon would be an ideal quest for someone who is already passionate about running but may have not made it a priority yet. Chris had the quest of visiting all 193 countries in the world, he was passionate about travel and had already visited 30 countries when he decided on this goal.

The thing is, when I start pondering on things I would like to do before I die, the list is pretty short. Last night, in my extremely weary state after a busy weekend, I could not think of a single thing I could make my quest…

Today I can think of a few. Become a yoga teacher and travel to India for the training. Qualify as a midwife and open a small heart-driven practice. Climb Kilimajaro, even.

Last night however, whilst journaling I decided on another route, and I am going to honour that tired rambling as it feels intuitively ‘right’.

I am going to work on the DOING and wait for the WHAT to come later.

For now, there are so many different directions I could move in, I am going to just DO them all, and I know, the path that I am supposed to follow will become clearer and the DOING will stick and my quest will be made.

I want to write (possibly a book, definitely this blog), for now I will commit to writing every single day. In my journal, on this blog, on my Tumblr and social media.

Checklists will be drawn up, and made visible so that I get that satisfaction of ticking things off.

I want to be a midwife, but will start by finishing off my doula studies that I have neglected by drafting the first assignment and just doing SOME every single day.

I want to be a yoga teacher and have already started on this one by committing to a once a week beginners intensive class, and I will commit to doing yoga at least 3 times more a week at home.

I have also wanted, forever, to renovate our home. I have images saved on my phone, magazine clipping on my fridge and a cupboard in my kitchen – I know exactly what I want to do, now just to START. So, I am just doing it, one tiny bit at a time. Even if I paint only one window frame per day, I am going to do it!

So not really a quest, but a few commitments, goals, coupled with a visual way to keep a record of my progress. And I have made this public declaration for accountability.

Perhaps, out of these small, new commitments, my life’s purpose (other than raising children, as I do believe that is one of them) will make itself known.