How to pick a hobby and find your calling!

What is a hobby? According to the Oxford dictionary, a hobby is, "an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure." A dictionary can give a definition for a word but what does it truly mean? What is really considered a hobby and how do you find the right one for you?

The world is a playground for hobbies. You can literally have a hobby for almost anything: in fact, pretty much anything you do on a daily basis could be considered a hobby. For example, every time you make breakfast; there's a hobby dedicated to cooking. Every time you drive to work, there's a hobby dedicated to driving cars. Every time you put on clothes, there's a hobby dedicated to fashion. Essentially, once you get deep enough into something, there's a hobby for anything no matter how generic or specific the action is. There are hobbies that cover a wide realm such as just playing music, and you can even get to super specific hobbies like underwater basketweaving.

So, if anything can be a hobby, doesn't that remove the definition of a hobby? If anything can be a hobby, the definition seems to be useless: a word that defines everything doesn't have a purpose. Well, there's one key factor that differentiates a hobby from just any form of action: the fact that hobbies are done for leisure.

Although everyone is different, it can get generally said that there are many activities that people do that really aren't considered hobbies. For example: root canals. I highly doubt anyone looks forward to one and happily receives root canals for leisure (if you do you may want to get that checked out). Sure, there can be many hobbies that other people find odd, but there are some things that pretty much everyone can agree shouldn't be hobbies.

(I doubt any child looks this happy at a dentist)

With so many options to start a new hobby, what should you pick if you want to start one? What should you encourage your child to do as a hobby? What should you encourage your spouse or friend to do as a hobby if they need some time to be filled? Although every hobby has its own advantages and disadvantages, there are some key factors that every hobby should provide to the hobbyist.

Engagement

What's the point of a hobby if it bores the person out? As a form of leisure, you should be able to relax after a long day of work and find something engaging to do. If you dread getting up and starting your hobby, what's the point of it? Your hobby should be something fun, something that helps you get out of bed in the morning when you have nothing else to do (and no, watching videos in bed doesn't count). When life seems to lose all purpose and it feels like there's nothing you can do, your hobby should be able to at least get you out of bed and let you start working for a bit.

Fulfillment

I doubt that many people get a sense of fulfillment after binging a Netflix series for 3 hours. (Or whatever subscription service is popular nowadays, there's too many to count). A good hobby should leave you feeling proud and fulfilled after your leisure time, you shouldn't feel bad after it. Perhaps a sense of accomplishment can be felt after looking at some amazing art you made. Perhaps the sense of accomplishment can be felt after learning a new song; or it could just be internal fulfillment, the joy of winning another gaming session or playing with your friends. Pretty much, you should be able to feel good after the hobby; or at least have fun while doing it. This is similar to engagement: you shouldn't feel bored while doing your hobbies.

Cost/Monetization

Now this one is a little bit of a tightrope. If you have all of the money in the world to spend this will not be an issue. However, many of us are on budgets that can be quite tight, so cost is something to keep in mind. For example, if you are tight on money, an expensive hobby like horse-riding may not be the best option for you. The best hobbies can be enjoyed at any price point and have a low barrier of entry. Again, if you have the money to spend and you don't have a strict budget, feel free to go all out. Just keep in mind that with many hobbies, you'll end up spending way more money than you imagined. Upgrades and accessories can really add up over time; so make sure to keep track of how much money you spend. As a bonus, some hobbies are easier to monetize than others. If you really get into your hobby and you become pretty good at it, chances are that you can probably make a side hustle using your skills. It would be pretty nice to be able to have a hobby for fun and not have to put any money in because you'll be able to make all of the money back so you can enjoy your leisure even more. Or maybe you'll even go into positive finance and you can make a living out of it. Although the chances may be slim depending on the hobby you choose, it doesn't hurt to try; you never know how much you can make until you make the shot. Just try not to go into debt, that's a big no-no.

(Side note, I've spent quite a bit of money so I can keep this website up...and I haven't earned a single penny so I hope I can recoup some of my losses so this website does not shut down...I hope that doesn't happen).

Accessibility

Although not a deal-breaker, accessibility can be a useful aspect of a hobby to keep in mind. What is accessibility? Simply-put, it is a measure of how easy a hobby is to do depending on where you are. Let me give an example. A hobby of writing blogs and articles is very accessible. You can do it literally anywhere, as long as you have a computer or even a smartphone in your hands. In fact, I am writing this blog right after I came out of surgery, so you can do it almost anywhere, in almost any condition (granted, I'll probably proofread it afterward, I feel like I made so many mistakes). On the other hand, a hobby such as equestrian riding may be less accessible. You can't do it while you are at your home, and you will have to have access to a ranch to do it. Hobbies can often be a great way to burn time and feel fulfillment, so a hobby that can't be just picked up ready to go when we have free time can be an aspect to keep in mind. Of course, just because a hobby isn't the most easily accessible does not mean you should push it off the table; it's just something to keep in mind.

Health

This can be one of the aspects that are overlooked the most. Many hobbies don't really have a negative impact on our health, however, many hobbies can have a positive impact on our health. The most obvious one that comes to mind is exercising, whether it be jogging or biking. If you are looking for a low-cost hobby, this can be one of the hidden gems, as having a healthy lifestyle can possibly prevent medical bills and issues in the long run which can simply be invaluable. On the other hand, hobbies such as boxing or extreme sports may be a no-go if you are looking to keep all of your bones intact. Everyone who does extreme sports insists they won't break a bone until it happens. Just be sure not to do anything too dangerous; unless you have good medical insurance.

Epilogue

A good hobby simply put, can be life-changing. It can drastically help your mood and help you get out of bed in the morning. For some people, it can even become a source of income or let them find a new career. The most important thing to keep in mind though is the engagement and fulfillment a hobby offers. A hobby is supposed to be fun and keep you happy. If a hobby seems to constantly wear you down or you seem to dread every time you start doing it, it may be time to reconsider. At that point, the hobby should be considered a job or something else depending on your situation. Although all hobbies have frustrating points, a hobby that frustrates you over years is definitely a red flag.

After reading this article, you may now want to pick up a new hobby and try it out. Congrats! I hope you have fun on your new journey no matter what it may be. However, if you can't seem to pick the right hobby due to the multitude of options, you've come to the right place. I've tried way too many hobbies and my drawers are filled with so many hobby-related gadgets that I would be glad to help you find the right hobby for you. In the future, stay tuned for a post that goes over what I think are the best hobbies depending on where you are in life. I have experienced so many avenues such as videography, photography, graphic art, woodworking, magic, volleyball, water polo, guitar, ukulele, and the list goes on and on. If you can't wait though and you need ideas now, feel free to leave a comment, and I'll respond as soon as I can.

Also, thank you very much for reading this article. It means so much to me, as barely anyone reads these articles I write. I truly hope that you enjoyed it.

I wish you the best of luck; I'm sure you'll be successful no matter what you do!