What a hobby can do for you

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If you’re like most leaders I know, you may be scoffing at this newsletter already. “A hobby? With what time?” Between your demanding job and your personal responsibilities, making time for something you enjoy may be the furthest thing from your mind. 

You keep pushing leisure to the back burner, telling yourself you’ll do it later when you have more time. Unfortunately, the belief that you will “have more time” is fiction. It’s the fallacy of “future slack time,” the mistaken belief that we’ll have more time in the future than we do now. Sadly, this isn’t true. That’s why it’s even more important to make time for something you enjoy today. 

“A hobby a day keeps the doldrums away.” – Phyllis McGinley

Ponder this…

Hobbies have numerous benefits. Research has shown they’re good for your physical and mental health, can make you more competitive in the workplace, and prevent burnout. A hobby can help you uncover your passions, foster new social connections, and keep your mind sharp. 

Engaging in your hobby can also promote a flow state and increase happiness, and that combination is what really got me hooked. When I ride my horse, my to-do list and worries fall away. My sense of time evaporates. I’m completely “in the zone” and when I finish, I am relaxed, uplifted, and energized.

You may be thinking that none of this solves the time crunch problem, but making time for your hobbies can actually increase your time management skills. As Parkinson’s law states, your work will expand to fill the time available for its completion. Adding a hobby into your schedule will force you to get various tasks done more quickly in order to make time for an activity you want to pursue, helping you move toward a greater sense of balance. 

However, you cannot reap the benefits of hobbies unless you commit to them over time. Here’s how to get started.

Choosing your hobby

We think so little of taking time for ourselves that it can be challenging to think of what activity to take up. If ideas aren’t readily coming to you, think about the activities you enjoyed in childhood, or as a younger adult. If you were an aspiring artist in 6th grade, you may like to give painting a try. If you played varsity softball, a community team may be the right fit. One CEO I coach, a former software engineer, codes in his free time for its meditative qualities! 

If none of those spark inspiration, you can also consider something brand new. If you’ve always wanted to learn the guitar or ballroom dancing, now’s the time! It doesn’t really matter what your hobby is. What’s important is that it brings you joy. 

Make a schedule

We are much more likely to stick with something when there is a set time carved out for that activity. Put it in your calendar and protect that time as you would any other important activity. Making regularly scheduled time for your hobby also enables easier planning for both home and office.

Add it to your social calendar

When others are expecting or counting on us, we are more likely to keep our commitments; that’s why joining a team or taking a class related to your hobby can make all the difference. For example, one of my executive clients plays in a Rugby league. He leaves a little early once a week to make it to practice, and while there’s always work to be done, his commitment to his team motivates him to show up. 

Commit to a goal

Many leaders are goal-oriented, and having specific, concrete goals can be a real motivator. A colleague with a lifelong passion for wine set her sights on becoming a sommelier, a widely- recognized certification in the international wine industry. With that goal in mind (and a rigorous exam looming), she was driven to carve out time to study every week - for over a year - while still working full-time.

Make a plan

Make your life easier and ensure that you can make time for your passions by communicating with your boss and loved ones about what you need. If your hobby requires time away during regular working hours, show your manager you have a plan. Identify the important goalposts, and explain how you will meet these goals and deliver results. At home, make arrangements ahead of time in a way that feels fair to everyone. At my house, my husband is on point with the kids on Friday afternoons so I can spend time at the barn. In turn, I cover his Tuesday evening soccer practice. Making plans prevents any kind of misunderstanding or resentment, allowing you to enjoy your hobby with a clear head.

Making time for something you enjoy has a myriad of benefits, so make space in your mind and schedule for your passions. Work-life balance doesn’t happen overnight, but a hobby is a great place to start. 

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