One year after leaving my childhood home and making the career move to California, someone told me how they led their life, which threw me into an existential crisis. The guidance went something like this: When it comes to finding hobbies, it’s good to have at least three, one that keeps you healthy, one that you can take with you wherever you go, and one that helps pay the bills.
The guidance sent me into a downward spiral regarding the meaning of life. I realized that I didn’t have a single hobby. My day-to-day routine was pretty steady: wake up, go to work, eat dinner, prep for the next day, go to bed, and repeat. The reason may have been because I had always been a risk-avoidant person and a stickler to the rules. As a result, there was no room for hobbies. It was all about surviving and getting from point a to b as safely and quickly as possible.
Things have changed now, for a variety of reasons– the pandemic; entering my 30’s; and living by myself. I’m happy to say that with a bit of inspiration from friends, colleagues, and Spotify podcasts…I have found lists of hobbies!
As defined by Merriam-Webster, a hobby is a pursuit outside one’s regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation. With the restrictions of the pandemic, I had lots of time to “find” relaxation and learn how to find hobbies. The perk of being in the Bay Area was that the weather is divine, so I had the chance to breathe in the fresh air and walk every street in my neighborhood. As time moved on and we entered the new age of 2023, I started to lack discipline. After a long day of work, I chose lying in bed and scrolling through social media over venturing outside.
Flash forward to June 2023, I was in the middle of house hunting, wedding planning while managing critical projects at work. I was overwhelmed and not taking care of myself. Then, my good friend Maria came in and told me how she got into biking and was planning to do a duathlon. I had sheepishly said my new bike was collecting dust and taking up critical space in my 450 sq ft cottage. If I were to keep the bike, then I must use it. As a result, I signed up for my first professional race, which consists of 13 miles of biking and four miles of running—- more than I have ever done in my life!
I created a vigorous training plan to track my progress and find a new hobby. Now, I’m hooked on the sport! To be honest, there are days I dread lacing up my shoes and heading out into the heat. However, I just remind myself of the feelings of accomplishment that I have experienced after every session and the improvements I have made on Strava week after week. In fact, I am pleased to say that I have biked over 140+ miles and ran at least two 5Ks.
This one was a bit of a struggle to identify because once there was extrinsic motivation involved, the activity felt more like a chore rather than finding a hobby. Nevertheless, I defined this bucket as something that could help me both professionally and personally. For example, I necessarily won’t get a tangible benefit, like a job promotion or superb mental health, right away. However, this hobby could support my long-term life goals and help me improve skills, such as facilitation and conflict management, year after year.
Let’s wind back the clock and return to March 2020. I was fortunate to have lots of free time, so I decided to start a blog to commemorate all the new food recipes I was trying and all the new neighborhood cats that I had encountered. I lacked the discipline to continue it.
Now, let’s jump to March 2023. Due to the passion and wit of Rochelle, we decided to embark on an adventure where we had the space to experiment and share our discoveries. That was the birth of InBiteSize. Hence, my newest hobby is blogging. I see blogging as a place of reflection. I get to jot down all my thoughts about a topic and organize it in a way that helps me make sense of it. Once I understand it, it’s easier for me to apply the learnings in all aspects of my day-to-day life.
Before writing this post, I still grappled with the fact that I didn’t have a hobby for each of the categories listed earlier. However, I have finally learned that it is not about checking all the boxes or subscribing to another person’s life mottos. Rather, this journey has helped me reflect and identify what’s right for me. I’m glad I was able to find a list of hobbies that I want to actively pursue for the fun of it. If there are added benefits, like keeping me healthy or helping a stranger solve a problem, then it’s just a win-win for all.
Beyond that, I have also learned how valuable it is to have partners that are just as passionate to keep me honest and disciplined. So, what have you been wanting to pursue? And, how can we help push you forward?