Hobbies are something I never considered exploring as an adult, but having hobbies has genuinely changed my life and how I view aging in general (not to be dramatic). Before I started to take on hobbies, my identity was tied to work. It wasn’t until I read the book “Atomic Habits” by James Clear that I considered the importance of not tying my identity solely to one thing. In the book, Clear says, “When you cling too tightly to one identity, you become brittle. Lose that one thing and you lose yourself.” That line spoke to me, and I thought about who I would consider myself to be if I weren’t defined by my job. At the time, I didn’t have an answer.
My life was so consumed by one identity that I didn’t really think about leaving room for something more. Work is obviously an important part of our lives. It’s how we pay our way and obtain access to our basic needs, but work isn’t forever. You can get laid off, your company can shut down, or you’ll retire. Who are you outside of work? What are your passions? What interests you? Hobbies aren’t only essential for developing your identity, but they’ve also been tied to well-being and overall happiness.
So, before we get into how to find what hobby is right for you and hobbies to explore this year, let’s talk about what a hobby is and isn’t.
What is a hobby?
According to a quick Google search, a hobby is a regular activity done for enjoyment and relaxation during leisure time, not for financial gain or as a main occupation.
Granted, you can have hobbies that you make money from, but for the sake of this blog post, we’re only going to talk about hobbies done solely for enjoyment.
How to find the right hobby for you
Thinking about what hobby to try can be intimidating. Certain activities interested me, but I wasn’t sure if I would excel at them, and I didn’t know where to start. Here are some things I considered that helped me narrow down hobbies that were best suited for my personality and interests.
Think about what you enjoyed doing as a child
When we’re children, we’re at our freest. We’re fearless, and nothing holds us back from trying new things. When I was younger, I loved to write. Whether it was short stories, skits, or just journaling, I would entirely lose track of time. As an adult, I’ve continued to journal and started a blog to tie myself back to my childhood interest. In turn, it’s given me a creative and emotional outlet. Think about your favorite childhood pastimes and find ways to integrate them into your adult life.
What would you do if money were no object?
Ask yourself, if you didn’t have to worry about money or working, what would you want to do? Sometimes we think that we have to be retired or well off to be able to do things we enjoy in our free time. Our free time isn’t only for rest, but it’s also for exploring activities we enjoy. Think about what hobbies you would want to do if you didn’t have to work, and start building them into the pockets of free time that already exist in your schedule.
What do you enjoy doing where you lose track of time?
We all have that one thing that causes us to completely lose track of time. When I mentioned earlier how I would lose track of time when writing, that was a clear indicator to me that I should explore hobbies that revolve around writing. Think about the activities you do that make time fly, and consider taking one of them up as a hobby this year.
Take a personality assessment
This one might receive some mixed reviews, but I stand by personality assessments. Some say that they can be inaccurate, but they have been insanely spot on for me. If you have no idea where to begin on your quest to find a hobby, I highly recommend taking a personality assessment and researching what hobbies align best with your personality type. There are so many great free assessments, and they often suggest hobbies tailored for your personality type.
The edit: We are no longer living to work. We’re working to live, and that includes having a full life with hobbies and interests outside of our 9-5 jobs. I strongly encourage you to sit down and ask yourself some of the questions I mentioned earlier. If you don’t know where to start, take a personality assessment and see what hobbies would be best for you. Don’t tie yourself too close to one identity. Diversify your interests and explore the parts of yourself that unfold.
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