How To Find A New Hobby That Is Perfect For You
Knitting, cooking, beginning a new online course, participating in sports, learning a language, playing music, graphic design, making jewelry—what do these things have in common? They’re all popular and fun hobbies! Many people who want to find a great hobby don’t know exactly what they want to try. That’s where we come in to problem solve!
There are many benefits to having a hobby or two. First, it’s important to have balance in life. Hobbies allow you to take your mind off the daily grind. You can’t work all the time, you need to spend time to relax and enjoy yourself whether it is through creative outlets or even using social media!
Also, finding a good hobby can allow you to meet new people. And of course, many of us are spending much more time at home than we’re used to, so a finding a hobby can help you fill the time.
While there is no monetary gain with starting a hobby, many people successfully turn theirs into a side hustle or even a full-time job. Think of vloggers who make videos on YouTube about their hobbies!
When I was in college, I picked up ballroom dancing as a hobby. It’s great exercise, a wonderful social opportunity, and something that I can continue enjoying for the rest of my life. Starting a new hobby can be a great thing, and you never know when or how you will discover your next passion in life.
Do you feel excited and ready to pick a new hobby? Here’s a step-by-step process that will help you get started!
Step 1: Brainstorm Ideas
First, you have to compile a list of activities you have always been interested in but, for one reason or another, haven’t tried. No need to be practical yet—be as idealistic as you can! Discovering a new hobby is all about making yourself happy and expressing a new side of your personality.
Need to get on the right path? Read our article 21 Fun Things You Can Do At Home When You’re Bored, which offers free information about new hobbies you can do at home!
Step 2: Do Your Research
Learn all there is to know about the activities on your list and use the results to narrow down your options. This is a great place to start when you are ready to find your next favorite hobby.
The Internet is a great source of information, of course, but talking to people is also important. If you have friends who know something about this hobby, talk to them.
It’s also great to talk to experienced professionals in the field. For example, if you’re interested in yoga, you might talk to a certified yoga instructor. They would tell you where the best studios are, different deals you can take advantage of, or if you would be well-suited for online classes from Yoga Download.
Doing your research will inform you if your idea for a new hobby will match your personality type or not. It will also tell you what resources you need to make the activity part of your life.
What kind of supplies, upfront knowledge or experience, and resources will you need? If you enjoying writing or painting, a trip to the craft store would be essential. These are all essential things to learn before you dive in.
Step 3: Budget Your Time and Money
Budget Your Money
Since most people don’t plan to make money from their hobby, you need to make sure your finances are in good enough order to fund your new activity. You need to know how much money you have to spend on a hobby and compare that to how expensive your hobby of interest tends to be.
Whenever you’re researching your hobby, always find out what equipment is necessary. Some hobbies are cheaper than others. If you want to go into writing and you already have a laptop or computer, then you can get started right away. However, other hobbies require more investment. For example, if you’re diving into the music scene and want to mix music, then you might need to invest in a pedal looper. If you know what you need before you get involved in a hobby, then it’s much easier to count the cost.
Find ways to cut costs or decrease your involvement if it’s a hobby you’re really interested in but is too expensive. Budgeting and savings don’t just apply to shopping at the mall! Make this part of your research so you can crunch the numbers before you become emotionally attached.
During this step, you might find that you need to save up some money before you can dive into your new hobby. Read our article Why You Need To Create A Money Saving Chart Now to get started!
Budget Your Time
Just as budgeting your finances is important, so too is budgeting your time. Millennials lead busy lives, so you need to ensure that you have enough time to add something else into your life.
Again, make this part of your research. Other people with this hobby will know the time commitment it is. If it will take up too much of your time and end up interfering with school or work, then don’t do it. There’s no reason to stress yourself out—hobbies are meant to be a source of stress relief!
If you have difficulty managing your time, I recommend trying out the Productivity Planner. It will help you organize your entire life, so you know exactly how much free time you have to dedicate to your new passion.
Buy your own Productivity Planner here!
Step 4: Go For It!
Jump right into this new activity! It might be a little scary at first because you’re stepping into unexplored territory, but you will inevitably enjoy yourself and learn something from the experience.
Trust me, it is highly unlikely that anything too catastrophic will happen. And even if you totally embarrass yourself on the soccer field, or your knitted blanket turns out crooked, so what? There’s a learning curve for everyone.
Step 5: Evaluate Your Experience
Did you enjoy attending that yoga session as much as you thought you would? How did your first guitar lesson go? What did you think of your cooking class?
Since you will be putting time and money into your hobby, you want to enjoy it. It might take a couple of tries to arrive at the enjoyment part of the experience, so don’t necessarily give up after one try. Learning a new skill takes time and dedication, after all.
But if you’ve given it your all and you still hate it, it’s time to find the source of your dissatisfaction. Pinpoint what it is you dislike about this particular hobby and find another activity that avoids those qualities. After all, there’s no point in spending your free time doing something you don’t love!
Step 6: Commit to Your Hobby!
If you want to get good at something, you can’t half-ass it. You need to commit. This certainly doesn’t mean you need to devote hours every day to your new hobby (see Step 3).
What it does mean, though, is that if you want to improve your skills you’ll have to ensure that you do all you can to achieve that goal. Learning something new is so rewarding…and fun! So it’s well worth your time and resources.
If you follow these steps, you’re sure to find your new hobby to try in no time. We want to hear about your favorite hobby or something that you’ve been thinking about trying! Tell us all about it in the comments and maybe someone will get a new hobby!
