POWER OF BOREDOM

THE SIMPLE NEWSLETTER - ISSUE # 023

This week, I found unexpected insight in a moment of boredom—with my 9-year-old daughter as my teacher. What started as a casual weekend conversation turned into a reflection on the hidden value of boredom and how it can become a catalyst for creativity, connection, and growth.

ADAM'S THOUGHTS:

This week, it's about my daughter.

Last weekend, my daughter seemed incredibly bored. Naturally, we ended up having a long conversation about what it means to be bored and why, in some ways, it’s a gift.

I told her how lucky we are that we can even afford to experience boredom. She gave me the side-eye. If you’ve spent any time around a 9-year-old, especially if you’re their parent, you know precisely the look I’m talking about. That side-eye that says, “Really, Dad?” And to be fair, I deserved it. But when I explained my point, it started to resonate.

I told her how, in past generations, being bored wasn’t an option. People were constantly occupied with life’s necessities. They worked. They did chores. They hunted for food or found ways to make enough money just to survive. Free time as we know it today didn’t exist.

And that made me think. If boredom is a result of good times, and good times can potentially make us “soft,” is her boredom a sign of her becoming soft?

ADAM'S LESSONS:

What did I learn from this?

Sometimes, you don’t need a philosophical debate or a deep-dive into the meaning of life. Sometimes, the answer is simply to help your 9-year-old daughter not be bored. And that’s exactly what I did.

We spent time together doing totally random things. We hung out with our dog, made protein shakes together, and just embraced the simplicity of the moment. Nothing extravagant, but those moments were gold.

Here’s what I realized, though. Boredom isn’t something to fear or eliminate entirely. Instead, it’s an opportunity. It’s a chance to be creative, to explore, to do something you’ve always meant to do but somehow pushed aside because “there wasn’t enough time.”

When you stop seeing boredom as a problem and start seeing it as a gift, you unlock possibilities. Whether it’s doing something serendipitous or tackling that one small goal you’ve put off, boredom can be a launchpad for growth.

From now on, I’m going to look forward to being bored. And I’m going to use it wisely.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

I never thought I’d say this, but I want to be bored.

Hopefully, after reading this, you see what I’m getting at. And if you’re still not convinced, you’re welcome to pop by my house—I’ve got plenty of chores that need doing to keep you occupied.

Here’s to embracing boredom.

Adam

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