What’s in a Hobby?
A hobby? Who’s got time for that? Well, you do — at least according to psychologist and professor Jaime Kurtz. “We habitually waste time, creating the illusion of busyness. Facebook, email, Netflix — pick your poison,” she writes in Psychology Today. Back in 1957, Cyril Northcote Parkinson wrote a book called “Parkinson’s Law.” It was all about time management and workflow, and it centered around one idea: The more time you have to do something, the longer it will take. If you have something you do two nights a week, odds are your chores will be done those nights so you can get to the hobby. The rest of the week? Not so much. Besides the obvious — turning off the screens — there are other tricks to managing your time for hobbies. One great way? Just schedule hobby time into your planner or calendar. Set a reminder on your phone, and when the time comes, just go do it, no excuses. Another trick, if you know you won’t get to it later, is to do your chores early in the morning. That way, when you come home from work, they’re all done, and you have time to work on your hobbies. Oh, and bonus — you come home to a clean house! In fact, hobbies have a lot of benefits. They “can be a healthy escape,” according to Dr. Beth Howlett, “and can be very beneficial to mental health.” And some hobbies — like reading and exercise — can even boost your career success, according to the Washington Post. Plus, unusual hobbies, like beekeeping or playing a funky instrument, make for great conversation starters. There are also plenty of affordable hobbies that “trick” you into staying active, like geocaching or Ultimate Frisbee. Consider something outside of your comfort zone — with a welcoming community that’s happy to show newcomers the ropes. Never be afraid to stop people who are doing something that looks fun and ask them what’s going on. That’s how you learn! Dr. Kurtz sums it up best: “Maybe there’s something you’ve always wanted to do,” or “maybe something you used to love but stopped doing.” Her advice? Take that thing and run with it. “Just don’t follow that phrase with, ‘Ah, well. Maybe someday — when the kids leave the house or when I retire.’” Because we all know what that means!
Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Ephesians 4:29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Have You Heard the Good News … as it relates to “Speaking With Others”
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