Many define a hobby as doing something purely because you love to do it and not because it earns you money, praise from others, or any other form of ego-stroking recognition. A great hobby is something you don’t have to make an excuse for pursuing. You do it simply because that’s what you want to do.
It’s amazing how many people love the idea of having a hobby but simply can’t figure out what they should do.
The search often starts with looking at all the common hobbies other people have, such as woodworking in the garage, collecting matchbook covers, tinkering with old cars, or building model ships. In fact, there are so many hobby possibilities, people get overwhelmed when trying to land on just one.
To help yourself find a perfect hobby, start with your childhood. Think back to those early days before the weight of the world and its responsibilities came crashing down on you. It was a time when your spirit was wide open and untethered. You were free to think about and do the things that intrigued and excited you just because they did.
Now is the time to hearken back to what delighted you as a child and turn it into a hobby. One example is a man who was an avid amateur astronomer when he was a kid. He only had a dime-store telescope, but he thrilled at looking at the moon and ferreting out intriguing celestial objects hidden in the night sky. He gave up stargazing in college and then lost touch with it during his subsequent job as supply chain manager.
One day in a quiet moment, he happened to start thinking about those warm summer nights of his childhood under starry skies. On a whim, he purchased a high-quality Celestron reflecting telescope with a 10-inch objective mirror. He assembled the fine optical instrument took it out to his backyard. The first thing he did was train the telescope on the Pleiades. The view of the sparkling cluster of blue stars suspended in space sent his spirit soaring — and a lifetime hobby was born.
Thus, what finding the perfect hobby gets down to is engaging in a form of self-discovery. It’s an attempt to recapture that sense of child-like wonder and make it an activity that you can enjoy for the pure fun of it.