Hobbies, Recreation, and Pleasure

 

HOBBIES, RECREATION, AND PLEASURE

            The choice of your hobbies and recreational activities is not a critical life decision.  Nevertheless, these choices do have a significant impact on both your mental and physical wellbeing.  Everyone could benefit from a cheap and safe obsession.  In this life arena, the most ubiquitous failure is the failure to have any hobbies or sources of recreational pleasure at all.  The demands of work, family obligations, basic chores, etc., often leave little time or energy for recreational pleasure.

Advice on Hobbies, Recreation, and Pleasure

1.            Before age 25, cultivate three hobbies.  One should be a hobby that can be pursued alone; one should involve social contact; and one should involve physical activity.  For these purposes, hobby is defined broadly to include sports, games, art, and the more traditional hobbies.  [Examples: stamp and coin collecting, sculpting, gardening, tennis, lawn bowling, chess, model building, science fiction reading, etc., etc.]

2.            Do not choose hobbies that are an extension of your work tasks.  Let your hobby be a rest from work or school.

3.            Pursue some activity in one of your hobbies at least once per week.  Choose your hobby, such that, the expense of undertaking the hobby does not inhibit your regular indulgence.           

4.            Do not undertake more than one hobby that is competitive, and undertake at least one hobby where your performance will be ordinary.  You should not place yourself in a situation where all of your hobbies trigger intense achievement motivation.