How to Be the Hero in a World of Sidequests

I try living life like I’m the hero of my own story. In a sense, we’re all heroes, working towards fulfilling our destinies, vanquishing the obstacles of life that try to hold us down. 

Of course, unless you’re a Knight of the Round Table specifically commissioned to find the Holy Grail, the Hero’s Journey is never as straight forward as we think it should be (nor was it for those brave knights who actually looked for the cup). Indeed many of us have goals we’re trying to accomplish, but if life we’re faced with distractions. And I know many of are so entrenched in the stress of the here-and-now struggles of life that they don’t even know what their “Hero Quest” is supposed to be.

But the problem doesn’t always lie directly with the hero, nor is it always because we don’t know how to proceed. The actual problem I see facing many of us today is a phenomenon that gamers call “sidequests”.

In video games, a sidequest is a task or mini-quest not associated with the game’s main storyline. Maybe completing the sidequest will give you money or a weapon upgrade, but sometimes it’s simply a fun aside that you do because your character’s a good person—or more likely, you want to beat the game with 100% completion.

An easy example of this is in one of my favorite video games, one considered by many to be one of the best video games of all time: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

If you’re not aware of this Nintendo 64 classic, here’s a brief rundown: Link (a human boy raised among a race of child-like, fairy-accompanying forest-dwellers) is sent by the Great Deku Tree to Hyrule Castle to meet Princess Zelda. Guided by Navi the fairy, Link finds the princess, and she explains that the evil Gannondorf wants to take over the world and obtain the magical Triforce, and they can only stop him if they collect the Sacred Stones and enter the Sacred Realm before Gannondorf does it first. When Link opens the Sacred Realm, Gannondorf enters in behind him and obtains a piece of the Triforce. Link’s body is sealed in the Sacred Realm for seven years, and when he wakes up, he’s finally old enough to wield the Master Sword. Rauru, the Sage of Light, explains that Link is the Hero of Time, and in order to confront Gannondorf before he can get the rest of the Triforce, Link must awaken the other five sages in the temples overrun by the powers of darkness.

What’s fun about this game besides the action and plot is the free exploration. Even though most of the plot must be completed linearly, a lot of things are only found when the player immerses him-/herself into the game and experiments. This revolutionary-at-the-time game mechanic allowed for addition of multiple “sidequests”.

Collecting Chickens with the Hero of Time

So, my main reason for using this game as an example is because I finally beat it for the first time just this summer, almost twenty years after its original release.

One of the game’s earliest sidequests involves young Link entering a village on his way to Death Mountain. If you talk to all the townspeople, it won’t take you long to find who I call “Chicken Lady.” She needs help, because all of her chickens escaped from their pen. But if you find them all, she’ll give you something special. It’s an annoying-but-fun distraction that many would be tempted to skip—and the reward is kind of underwhelming (an empty bottle, which sounds useless when you first get it, but it actually one of the most useful items you can have in the game).

Inevitably, when I’m in a sidequest, I get frustrated. “I’m the prophesied Hero of Time! I need to stop Gannondorf from taking over the world! WHY AM I WASTING TIME COLLECTING THESE STUPID CHICKENS!”

In real life, I think we’ve all had these moments. Times where life feels like nothing but toil, and you get is an empty bottle to show for it. Maybe you’re stuck in a dead-end job. Maybe you can barely afford rent, let alone vacation, or anything related to your dreams. Maybe you long to break free, but you can’t. Maybe you’re trapped in the sidequest.

We know life isn’t supposed to be this way. It started as a simple task: make money and pay your bills, and once you unlock your achievements, gain your experience points, and add a helpful weapon to your arsenal, THEN I can confront my destiny. But before we know it, the sidequest becomes our life.

We’re scared. Maybe I’m not destined to slay the dragon. Maybe I’m never going to publish that book, drop that mixtape, paint that masterpiece…Maybe the sidequest is all there is.

I’m right there with you. Sometimes sidequests are unavoidable, but when you’re not functioning in a way that you can face your destiny, you get antsy. Restless. Discontented. It’s hard to settle for less when you’ve been made for more.

In my own life, trapped in my own sidequests, I have gained experience points, and there are some things I’ve learned over the years.

One: Some sidequests are worth it.

When we think of “The Hero’s Journey,” we tend to imagine the big picture, the one climax the story leads up to, the big foe to be defeated, the prize at the quest’s conclusion. Truth is, life (and by extension, The Hero’s Journey) is more complicated than that. We won’t be ready to vanquish the dragon if we can’t protect a caravan from robbers. I won’t be ready to face Gannondorf if I don’t collect the chickens, find the stones, gain new weapons, and awaken the sages.

In truth, the journey has always been more about the process than the goal. The most important part of baking a cake isn’t the ingredients; it’s the oven. If the hero has everything it takes to step into his destiny as a cake, it won’t matter if he never faces the heat.

The hero’s destiny, though it does something for him or her, is always more about the giving of oneself to help others. If you’re focussed on helping people, your sidequest isn’t a waste of time. I’ll never regret the time I’ve put in serving my church or the moments I’ve cherished with my family. I’ll never regret the time I’ve spent with people, even if it’s deemed a “distraction” of my destiny. Helping others will always be an extension of your destiny, and shouldn’t be treated as a waste.

Two: Some sidequests are NOT worth it.

I have a confession to make: I never completed horseback archery to gain the 50-arrow quiver. I didn’t even win the game in the shooting galley to get the 40-arrow quiver. I also skipped the Biggoron Sword. And I never collected the big Poes to get the last empty jar. I looked at the tasks ahead, and (thanks to internet walkthroughs) figured out what sidequests I wanted to skip. Some things were worth it. I collected 75 Gold Skulltula tokens to help break a family curse. I got most every other weapon available in the game. But in the end, I had one goal. And I can’t allow evil to reign when I have the power to stop it. How many people could Gannondorf kill while I wasted my time shooting arrows at targets? I was focussed and had to get it done.

What sidequests in life are worth skipping? How much time do we waste during a given day? Sure, some entertainment is necessary, but if your sidequest is binging a new show on Netflix, maybe you’re just procrastinating your destiny.

Three: Know the difference between your destiny, your worthwhile sidequests, and your useless sidequests, and prioritize accordingly.

This is something everyone has to do, and I’m by no means perfect. But I don’t know if I would have a book written if I didn’t take periods of time off of social media and Netflix. And I want to add, it’s okay if your destiny looks like a sidequest. There’s no shame in being a stay-at-home parent. That’s an important, worthwhile pursuit, and I’ll never tell you to spend less time with your kids so you can accomplish something else. Ultimately, everyone’s different. 

Are you an artist? A mechanic? An engineer? A plumber? A doctor? How does your profession relate to your dreams?

Four: Don’t get so focussed on your destiny that you forget about the present.

It’s easy to get antsy, thinking about the future and everything you feel like you need to do. It’s okay to work towards it, but take it one step at a time. There are some bosses you can’t fight yet. And that’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up about not confronting Gannondorf, if you don’t already have the hover boots, mirror shield, and light arrows.

Cherish every day, and make the most of every opportunity, even the sidequests. Before you know it, you will be ready to face your destiny. 

And just like Link, who needed Zelda and the sages to defeat Gannondorf, you’ll need the help of the people you meet along the way.

So make the most of it, Hero of Time. Don’t be afraid to collect the chickens.