Beginning Your Hobby Journey
Before you dive into finding a hobby, it’s time to let go of what you think a hobby is supposed to be and what you expect it to do for you.
Hobby (noun) —
An interest or activity that one does for personal joy.
That’s it.
Anything can be a hobby.
The biggest misconception about hobbies is that they have to fall under a specific category and fit into the status quo: playing a sport, growing a garden, creating music.
The reality is that most hobbies don’t fit under a neat category. And why should they?
You can collect old headphones. Dance only in the rain. Race ponies on the countryside.
There are only two things that matter:
Your hobby brings you joy.
Your hobby is a positive addition to your life.
Do it your way.
You can do any hobby, any way, any time. They are meant to fulfill your interests and work within own life.
Even if there is a hobby community, what other people do doesn’t matter. You get to decide how seriously you take it, how much money you want to spend, and how far you’re willing to go.
Irregular is regular.
You might be wondering when you should be spending time on your hobby. Every week? Everyday? How about when you want.
A myth about hobbies is that you have to perfectly schedule them into your life. Some hobbies might warrant a bit of regularity — but it’s never a must. You can spend time on your hobby when you want to.
Because for all of us, life happens. We get busy. We get tired. And when you have the time and energy, you return to the hobby you enjoy.
You’re not supposed to be an expert.
If you were an expert, it would be probably be your job. And hobbies aren’t meant to be another job for you.
You might not know how to start. You might be nervous to try the next step. You might even trip and fall.
Once you get through the early pains and hiccups, you’ll find yourself over the hill and into a new exciting world. You’ll soon pick up new skills, slowly speaking the language of a hobby.
It will give you a lot, but not everything.
Here’s an uncomfortable truth: Hobbies won’t fix all your problems.
Hobbies have the potential to add plenty to your life: new skills, new friends, new memories, new excitement.
However, taking on a hobby won’t solve relationship problems or bring you a briefcase full of money. That’s a lot to ask of a hobby.
We want to set you up for success. In our eyes, success means finding a hobby you enjoy and integrating it into your life. Approaching new hobbies with a closed mind or specific vision will only lead to disappointment. It’s like expecting a new city you’re visiting to be pure paradise, when in reality, you’ll probably get stuck in a traffic jam and get lost once or twice. But if you go in knowing these things are part of the journey, all that becomes part of the fun.