Stop Speedrunning Your Life

A few days ago, I was playing Cyberpunk 2077 when I caught myself doing something I hadn't really noticed before.

I wasn't interested in the side quests. I wasn't paying attention to the world, the conversations, or the countless little details the developers had spent years creating. I had one goal:

Get to the ending as quickly as possible.

Main quest. Objective marker. Next mission. Repeat.

The strange part was that I actually wanted to enjoy the game, yet my brain had quietly turned it into another checklist.

Then I remembered something.

Years ago, I spent countless hours playing Lineage 2. Back then, I wasn't obsessed with efficiency or trying to reach the high levels as quickly as possible.

I wandered around the world, talked to random people, explored places that had no reward, and sometimes spent an entire evening doing something completely "unproductive."

And somehow, that was the fun.

The game itself was the reward.

Somewhere along the way, that changed.

Then I started noticing the same pattern everywhere.

💻 At work

As a software engineer, I often approach tickets exactly the same way.

Instead of asking:

Why are we building this? I mean, yes, I know why, I understand the general idea, but, it has to be something more deep behind it, like, what's the bigger idea behind it? What can I learn while solving this problem?

my brain immediately asks:

"How do I finish this as fast as possible and as good as possible?"

Complete the ticket. Move it to Done. Start the next one.

Without realizing it, the goal becomes finishing the work, not enjoying the craft. I spend more energy thinking about completion than about understanding the problem I'm solving.

🏋️ At the gym

The gym isn't much different.

I show up, do the exercises, and leave. Most of the time I'm not even thinking about the workout—I'm thinking about work, tomorrow, or something that happened yesterday.

My body is in the gym.

My mind is somewhere else.

The workout becomes another box to check.

And then it clicked.

This isn't really about games.

Or work.

Or the gym.

It's about the way I approach life.

I'm constantly living for the next checkpoint.

• I'll be happier once I buy that car.
• Once I save enough money.
• Once I go on vacation.
• Once I get promoted.
• Once I finish this project.

There's always another destination. Another milestone. Another "then."

Before long, the present becomes nothing more than the loading screen between goals.

The irony

In games, the side quests are often the best part.

They're where you meet unforgettable characters, discover hidden places, and experience stories that have nothing to do with "winning."

The main quest gives the game a direction.

The side quests give it a soul.

I think real life works exactly the same way.

The unexpected conversation.

The bug that forces you to understand a system more deeply.

The workout that suddenly feels amazing.

A quiet morning with coffee.

An evening walk with no destination.

Those are the side quests.

They're easy to skip because they don't move the story forward.

But they're probably what the story is really about.

Maybe that's the lesson.

I'm starting to think fulfillment doesn't come from reaching the next checkpoint.

It comes from paying attention to everything that happens between checkpoints.

Maybe productivity isn't just about finishing things.

Maybe it's also about being fully present while you're doing them.

One day, we'll all finish the main quest.

The question is...

Will we remember only the milestones?

Or will we remember the side quests that made the journey worth taking?