Bored? - Map & Guide

Why - you are bored
Briefly: You’re bored because you don’t have a list of ongoing projects that inspire you. We used to stay engaged by fixing, making, and doing things together, but modern life has stripped away many of those hands-on moments. Without projects in progress, boredom wins every time.

The Project Gap
Here’s the real reason you’re bored: you don’t have a list of ongoing projects that inspires you.

• No quick-win tasks for low-energy days.

• No big, slow-burn creations to chip away at over weeks or months.

• Nothing half-done calling you back in.

Without projects in progress, boredom will always win.

From Lifestyle Shift to Modern Reality

Not long ago, life was hands-on. If something broke, you fixed it — often with kids helping. You built things, repaired things, and valued them because they lasted. Chores weren’t punishment; they were social — stories over dishes, laughs while planting rows.

Today, the physical world is engineered, specialized, and mass-produced. It’s cheaper to replace than repair, so the value of physical things has dropped — along with the shared “roll up your sleeves” moments that kept us engaged and connected. There’s a lot more nuance to this, and endless ways it connects to how we live now — but for simplicity, let’s stop here and go start building your project list.

So — start building your project list.

How - to fix boredom
Briefly: Build a list of projects that make you learn, create, and improve — and keep it ready. Every time boredom hits, pick the one that inspires you most in that moment. If nothing feels exciting, accept it and start with the easiest one anyway. Momentum has a way of waking up your interest once you begin.

Step 1 – Build Your “Projects” List (Before You’re Bored)
Briefly: Have a ready list of projects you actually want to do — so boredom never catches you unprepared.

What do you mean you don't have a list of projects?
Before it strikes, make a list of projects that excite, challenge, or satisfy you. Have more than one so you’re covered when life gets in the way — missing a tool, bad weather, low energy, not at home.

Include:

• Learning projects (play a song, bake sourdough, fix your bike)

• Creative projects (paint a mural, sew a tote bag, start a podcast)

• Improvement projects (organize the garage, refresh the garden, fix a wobbly chair)

• A mix of low-energy, high-energy, and portable options

Pick projects you might enjoy for years, not just quick throwaways. Life today gives instant results, but your list should include slow-burn projects where the process is as rewarding as the result.

If nothing inspires you? Congrats — you found your first project: fix whatever mental or physical imbalance is blocking you, even if that “fix” is just cleaning one corner of your space.

Step 2 – Set Up Your “Projects”
Briefly: Organize your projects so you can start with ease — no hunting, no excuses.

The fastest way to kill a project is wasting 15 minutes hunting for things you need.

Keep your projects organized together, even organizing your projects will keep you out of boredom.

• Materials

• Tools

• Books, games, or instruments

Your Goal is: least friction to start "working" on your projects. This comes with good organizing system that Avolv can help you learn.  zero friction between “I’m bored” and “I’m doing something.” When you can start in 30 seconds, your brain has no time to talk you out of it.

Step 3 – Say Yes & Start
Briefly: Accept any project or suggestion as valid, start now, and let momentum kill your boredom.

Your brain is wired to say “no” before you’ve even tried. No to your own ideas. No to others’ suggestions. But you’ll probably enjoy it once you start — momentum works that way.

Accept that any project (or suggestion) is valid. Don’t overthink or debate it. Starting anything may give you the spark for what you really want to do next.

Ask yourself:

• Which project can I move forward right now?

• What could I start that feels “meh” but might be fun in five minutes?

• If someone made me do this, would I secretly enjoy it?

Override the knee-jerk “no” and start. Once you cross the starting line, boredom doesn’t stand a chance.

Your rule

When boredom hits, pick the project that speaks to you most and you can do now.

And if you somehow still can’t find anything? Go help your family, friends, or neighbors — for god’s sake. :)