On the off-chance that you've been granted some precious free time, you are now at a crossroads: deciding what to do. Maybe it's an easy choice; you're going to go for a run, obviously. Or, you're going to finally catch up on sleep and your favorite Netflix TV show. But maybe you have too many choices: hiking, biking, running, climbing, baking, meditating, yoga, studying Spanish, reading, drawing/painting, blogging, boardgames, etc. There are not enough hours in one day (or even one week) to do all the things that you want to do because most of your time is consumed with responsibilities. Sometimes it's overwhelming to want to do many things at once that you don't do any of them at all. Instead, you get sucked into mindlessly scrolling through social media, letting an hour pass by while you could have been doing that hobby thing you've been wanting to do. Then, you feel guilty for not doing it, and some of your hobbies go untouched for months.
It's me. I'm talking about myself. But maybe it applies to you too.
How do you decide which activities to do and which ones to not? Why should some fall off the chopping block for months or years and other ones make it into your routine?
It's something I'm trying to figure out, and, after digging online, here are a few things that I discovered could help:
Establish what is the most important
TinyBuddha has great advice on separating your must-haves from your nice-to-haves. Because I'm a student and spend a lot of time indoors in an office, my must-haves include physical exercise and spending time outdoors. It would be nice-to-have time to read for pleasure, to draw, and to learn Spanish, but these things aren't my top priority unless I do my must-haves first. Having a 30-minute commute in the morning gives me time to listen to audiobooks to squeeze in my book cravings, and sometimes I can listen to Spanish-speaking podcasts.
Plan ahead
Maybe your free time is only on certain days of the week or certain times of the day. It's important to make time for your hobbies, so plan ahead. Look at the upcoming week and figure out which hobbies you want to do on which days. Having a concrete plan with your hobby already integrated into your schedule can make it more likely that you will actually do it. With some motivation, I've managed to get 20-30 minutes of yoga in before the work day starts, and it's a wonderful way to start the day.
Try a habitat tracker
This can be a really great visual for your hobbies. If you want to make sure you meditate in the mornings, or run 3x a week, or read in the evenings, have something physical to hold you accountable. Draw your own trackers, use an excel spreadsheet, or search online for the right template to print out.
Set a time limit
If there is something that keeps you procrastinating from doing your hobbies (Netflix, Youtube, social media, etc), set a time limit for yourself and stick to it (note to self).
Be flexible
You planned to run, but, instead, you want to bike. Or it's raining, so you want to do an indoor strength workout, read, or draw. Or maybe you just really don't want to do anything at all. The point is to be doing the things that you want to do, that will make you happy, and that will give you a break from work. So, take it easy and allow adjustments to your schedule (also, note to self).
I would love to hear how other people balance their hobbies, so please reach out with suggestions!
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