Idling on your dreams? Tarantino used this 'night test' to curb excuses and change his life

We all have passions and dreams we want to chase, but some curveball from life stops us. Often, it's just not our time yet, but it might also indicate that we’re sitting on our dreams, wasting our own potential. American director Quentin Tarantino also didn’t have the best career in his early years. Speaking on the “Joe Rogan Experience" Podcast, the filmmaker revealed that he had a period when he was unhappy and wanted to improve. He was stuck working a job that was comfortable but unfulfilling until a friend's lament woke him up to his purpose. In a clip shared on YouTube, Tarantino explained how, while surfing through life’s troubles and reflections, he chanced upon a “night test.” It changed his life almost immediately and set him up for success. 

The director noted that making movies was a dream for a long time. In his 20s, he was working in a video store, but at the time, he wasn’t unhappy with his job because, though it wasn’t his dream, it was close. “It's a dream adjacent. It's close to my dream. I get to watch movies all day, I get to talk about movies all day,” he remarked. Eventually, doing this job, his “ambitions were put to sleep.” But the iconic “Kill Bill” director knew his passion to make films would catch up to him. It started with a life-changing night with his roommate.  “He's kind of a little disgusted with his life, and he starts ranting,” Tarantino recalled. 

Since his roommate was much older than him and was able to look into the bigger picture of life, Tarantino learned something from his rant that night. Reflecting on his life, the friend expressed distress for the man he had been up till then. He mentioned that he had "wasted" his life hanging out with boys and girls just like Tarantino — comfortably stuck in a minimum wage job. "Before you know it, you’ve spent your 20s working a minimum wage job meant to help kids for gas money.” It was then that the then 25-year-old started asking what he was doing with his life. From then on, he began the tradition of doing a "Quentin Test” every day. He would take one night where he would stay up and ask what he’s doing with his life. He wasn't allowed to sleep until he got answers. “Rather than give myself excuses, I would look at everything that I'm f***ing  up in my life or everything I'm not doing or whatever,” he explained. He would then write that out and spend “the last two hours figuring out how to change that.”

Instead of just putting out errors, he’d ensure he was up all night, detailing the cons and finding a solution before he could go to sleep to avoid chasing the old routine when he woke up. It was this simple test that “changed his life.” Certified Life Coach Josh Dolin noted that it is important to ask oneself these uncomfortable questions to truly understand where one stands and how to move forward. His questions included, “What moments make you lose track of time?” “What would you do if money and approval didn’t matter?” “What pain taught you most of who you are?” “What would your 8-year-old self recognize today?” “What would you pursue if failure were impossible?” and “What do you want to contribute to before you die?” 

American television personality and businesswoman Beverly Smith appeared on a TED talk and revealed it’s never too late to find your path. The woman who thought she had the best life at 38 as an advertising executive realized she was only “pretending to be happy.” She had to dig deep before she could connect with her truest inner self, and she asked three questions: “Who am I at my core?” “How am I being perceived?” “How would I like to be perceived?” It was when she asked these introspective questions that she realized she’s called to far more than what she’s invested herself in. So if you know there’s something your heart desires, take that time to ask why you’re not chasing it and how you can. 

More on Scoop Upworthy

101-year-old man fulfills dream, receives high school diploma after 80 years

She dreamt of being an author when she was 8. Now, 48 years later, her dream has finally come true

6 sisters who were homeless for 10 years pursue their dream of becoming nurses together