How to Make Your Life Story Interesting

If you’ve ever felt dull in comparison to another person sharing their stories and adventure then I’ve got some good news for you.

You’re not stuck. You’re not fated to a life of boring routine and unoriginal stories. You can always make your life story more interesting.

Sure, you can blame your lack of money for why you don’t travel, but who said being interesting is limited to seeing every country on earth?

You can tell yourself you have no time to pursue hobbies because you’re “too busy,” but you’re not honest with yourself on how much time to spend scrolling through your Facebook feed.

Then of course, you start comparing what you’ve got going on in your social life with what you see on your Facebook friends’ walls. Hint: they’re only posting when they’ve got something going on.

“The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.” –Steve Furtick

Answer one question for me. Could everything in your life up until this point fill 30 separate chapters of a compelling autobiography?

This book of yours, writing style ignored, should be compelling. The events should have whoever bought it think, “Wow, that was one interesting life.”

If this makes it easier then imagine someone has to write a Wikipedia entry about you. Would it have interesting content?

If so, you’re on the right path. But if I read your autobiography or Wikipedia entry and thought that there was absolutely nothing interesting then you’ve got work to do.

Need some ideas?

“Take wrong turns. Talk to strangers. Open unmarked doors. And if you see a group of people in a field, go find out what they are doing. Do things without always knowing how they’ll turn out.” -Randall Munroe

Live like that on a daily basis. You’re going to create tons of experiences and adventures for yourself and your autobiography will fill itself up. You’ll meet cool people who will add value to your life and make you better.

I’m not saying you have to open mysterious doors and run up to any group you see, but you should be willing to be spontaneous. You should be happy to break free from routine.

“Take wrong turns.”

Three years ago, two of my friends and I would hop on our bikes every Friday and go on what we’d call our “Friday Adventures.” We’d intentionally ride around town and taking random turns trying to get ourselves lost.

We never got lost, but because of our Friday adventures I could tell you about the time my friend took a bad turn and fell off his bike in front of the freeway entrance. There was also that time I couldn’t stop my bike and rode straight into a van’s back wheel.

Would this fill up a chapter of an autobiography? Probably not, but it’s a start.

“Talk to strangers.”

I made it a goal to talk to at least one stranger every day during my first year of college. I’ve talked about it several times before, but I never mentioned the close friends I made as a result.

Before I moved to the Philippines a lot of the people I started hanging out with regularly came from people I’ve met walking around campus. My social circle grew tremendously and I still keep in touch with a lot of them even while I’m overseas. My guess? We’re going to have a lot of fun when I’m back in town.

“Open unmarked doors.”

Taking risks outside of your comfort zone are the unmarked doors. Explore things that scare you. Ask the boy or girl you’ve been admiring from afar out for a coffee date. I suspect your autobiography’s content would mostly come from opening these doors.

“And if you see a group of people in a field, go find out what they are doing.”

I did something like this just a few weeks ago. I was playing on a swing (as 19 year olds ought to do,) when I saw an older man in his 30’s playing on a teeter-totter by myself.

Now, when you see someone on a teetering and tottering by himself you don’t just sit and watch. You offer yourself as a partner of course!

I excused myself from my girlfriend, ran over there, and gave him some company. He told me about his job and we spent the next few minutes jumping around.

Small things like this aren’t autobiography-material, but it sure makes every day more fun.

“Do things without always knowing how they’ll turn out.”

Not much more needs to be said.

Am I saying I’ve got myself an interesting 30-chapter autobiography? Not even close. I’m still working on it, but I’m a lot closer than I was two years ago. If I had to guess then I may be on chapter six.

Since I’m not even close to my 30 chapters yet I’m going to keep on living life and making new chapters.

What unmarked doors are you going to open next?

Photo Credit: Grand Velas Riviera Maya – Flickr