I’m a creature of habit. I’m time poor. I know what I like.
The above three statements mean I often re-read my favourite books instead of risking several hours on a new risky book. I will re-watch my favourite TV shows and films, again and again, re-feeling the same warm fuzzy feeling as my favourite characters and stories unwind in their familiar way. I even re-play my favourite games, getting better and better at 90’s classics and re-treading my favourite RPGs (I think I’ve replayed FF9 at least ten times now).
Why?
I’m a creature of habit. I’m time poor. I know what I like.
I like being comfortable.
Comfortable is fine. Scrap that, it’s great! I love feeling comfortable: no surprises, complete control, and perfectly met expectations. But very little growth – comfortable is static.
Nobody ever grew muscles being comfortable in the gym. Nobody ever solved a complex problem without stretching out of their comfort zone (at some point in their life). No writer ever got great re-reading the same story again and again for inspiration…
I have to actively fight comfortable, or I will never grow as a person (or a writer).
So if you see me reading Terry Pratchett, playing a game I’ve already clocked 100+ hours on, watching another Louis Theroux documentary – remind me that comfortable can be dangerous. I may ignore you at the time, because everybody needs to relax and I’m a stubborn bastard – but future me will thank you.
