Back in January I set out full of excitement to run the SideQuest project, only to find myself struggling to follow through. In a busy schedule full of climbing, photography, a newfound interest in gymnastics and a full-time job, I hadn’t set aside enough time. I’d set myself up for failure with a non-existent platform. I knew this starting out, however, and was intent on figuring it out as I went.

As my former boss said, iterating on “making it up as you go”; here we make the boat as we row! (and we did, but that’s a different startup story)

Passing my self-imposed Q1 deadline April 1st, I called upon my friend group to help me figure this out. We made quick progress, and within a month things started coming together, and I felt confident I could salvage this. I was even considering pulling out old podcast skills. That’s when life decided it was time to queue the bananas 🍌

Gymnastics training was going well, and I was finally able to do somersaults. There’s something thrilling to spinning in the air, especially as close to the ground as mine were, haha. When I finally got that height right, I completely failed my rotation, though, and instead of somersaulting, I did something resembling a dive - with my hands backwards - ultimately crash landing on my neck. Auch. (Spoiler alert: I’m alive! And able to move all my limbs as I should, which is convenient, to be fair)

I’ll be the first to admit I was lucky walking away from it with a minor herniated cervical disc and the accompanying concussion. At the time of writing I’m coming up on my 6 month marker of my post-concussion symptoms, though, and life has been looking quite different lately. Post-concussions symptoms ain’t no walk in the park. I need to limit my screen time, my social battery is stuck in a somewhat low state, and meaningful days back at the offices are golden, but require a lot of energy.

In a long list of disappointments, not being able to follow up on this project has been one of the things I’ve had to come to terms with. I’m lucky to live in Norway, have an amazing physiotherapist specializing in my injuries, and an employer fully supporting my recovery.

So while I focus on the mundane tasks of everyday life and recovery, exploring new routines and the upsides of limited screen time, I hope everyone is making progress on their side quests!

So what’s next?

I’ll do another season of side quest, that’s a nobrainer! It just can’t be my side quest (that’s a rule - you select a new one every year).

I strongly believe sidequesting lead to more interesting lives, and enable a lot of good in the world.

My ambition for the remainder of this year’s side quests:

• Encourage you to follow through on yours, even though I didn’t lead by example (please do it!)

• Define that platform for success, so I can do this in a way supporting my continued recovery in 2026

Oh, and please drop me a comment on how you’re progressing. I know a lot of people are curios!

Reframing, my question to you, fellow side questers, is: how are you enjoying your quest?

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Personally, I love having told people about it, and having people check in, even when I feel guilty for falling behind. (I'm late on these updates, and I haven't signed up for my climbing instructor class yet). These reminders hold me accountable, and have several times prompted myself to reevaluate if I've chosen the correct one (answer is still yes).

For me, what I've enjoyed the most, is talking to new people about side quests. These conversations never fail to take an unexpected direction. Updating this substack has been the hardest, but I'm going to continue trying.

Talking to people about side quests, has exposed peoples passion for completely different side quests than me, challenging my preconceptions of what a side quest is. While some people instantly reply that "I'm doing this thing this year", others has spent an extended period thinking before their reply. However, both has sparked inspiring conversations about life, curiosity and exploration.

I'll spend my summer checking in, and hopefully provide some halfway updates over the coming weeks. I think it's only fair that others get to see the inspirational stories I see.

Full disclosure, I have found it hard to allocate time. Thankfully, others serve as inspiration, and I’m looking to up my game. For instance, Inger Marie has already booked flights for her 3 new countries (looking at a fourth), Heidi has been out taking photos, and India is actively pursuing her Improv goals.

When Maya, Inger Marie and I visited Cyril and his family in Brussels, we forgot to ask about the custom keyboard he's building, but I promise to get you an update soon.

What are you doing for your quest? What is keeping you from pursuing it?
Leave a comment below, or DM me.

Sigurd (3 mini-adventures with friends) and Maya (spend more time where time moves slow) kickstarted their SideQuests by going camping on New Years Eve. Bringing India and me along, we had a cold but refreshing start to the year!

Originating in gaming, a side quest is something you do for fun, or out of curiosity, in addition to the main quest.

In terms of your life, the main quest may be your career, education, family or other responsibilities – your day-to-day life, basically.

It’s about the journey

When you complete your quest, your focus should not be on the fact that you were able to get through it. What makes your stomach jittery with pride should be the journey - what you did, not what you accomplished.

For me, starting a gymnastics class in my late thirties would be a great example. Spending one day a week learning new moves is what I feel proud of. Of course it is cool to show off with a backflip (if I’m able to learn it), but at the end of the year I can say I invested time in pursuing this for myself. That is a side quest. Regularly throughout the year I invest time, energy (and even some money) in doing this for myself.

What’s the use? No real use, except that I may have a cool party trick up my sleeve. More importantly, I’m hoping to master a new skill, and regardless of outcome, I’m exploring and following my curiosity.

Let curiosity get the better of you

I could try selling you on this, but why don’t we just leave it for your curiosity? I’m willing to bet good things come out of this if you try. Let me know what you’d like to do for your side quest, and we’ll put your commitment up on the site. For now that’s all there is to it - you type it, and we as a group help hold you accountable.

I promise to post more about why I think this will make the better place, but right now I’m out of time, and I believe in an iterative approach, so I’ll get back to you. Meanwhile, why don’t you join us and find inspiration for your side quest?

Totally free - no asterisk

Side Quest is free. There are no hidden cost, there are no ads, there is simply just us being curious, setting aside time for some personal exploration and fun.

P.S.:
* ← this is an asterisk, in case you were unfamiliar with its name. Please say hello to the asterisk, as it’s not used to being around without a hidden clause, and is probably feeling a bit confused.

I have a lot on my mind, and I need an outlet. Also, I need something to keep me accountable. While blogs may be a thing of the past, it is the media I grew up with, and feel comfortable with. If nothing else it'll serve as AI fodder some time in the future.

Different

This is the time (it is different).

I'm approaching it in the way I feel comfortable: iterations. Since the last attempt, I've learned a couple of things, one of which being the understanding that I prefer to approach everything in iterations. While it may not have come naturally, it has become a central part to my way of life - professional as personal.

As my boss said in our last feature implementation discussion:

I trust you to approach this as everything else you do, with MVP (minimum viable product) front and center.

Or in iterations, as I see it.

This is the time (for you to cheer me on?)

A photo

As a photographer, I struggle to post without a photo. And because it’s nice for you to get to know me, this is me. Climbing. I love climbing.