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Hobby (noun): A hobby is a regular activity done for enjoyment, typically during one’s leisure time.
If you’re following the non-mainstream path, you’ll find that mainstream sources of entertainment – TV, movies, video games, etc. don’t interest you much. (negative ROI)
As you’re prioritizing high ROI activities, your days often feel “robotic” – one long, repetitive grind. You’ll feel lonely and isolated as you work alone, so you need to find a way to bring flavor back to life.
First things first, unless you’re at the very beginning, you need to go out 1-2x a week.
When you completely cut out socializing from your life, your social skills will decline due to lack of use, and you’ll become frustrated as you physically confine yourself to one place – going hermit is not a good long term strategy.
Just keep the outings limited to one or two days a week. If you want to save money, avoid weekends.
Now, getting to the meat of the matter, I saw a quote that said that you should find three hobbies you love:
- A hobby that keeps you fit
- A hobby that lets you be creative
- A hobby that helps you network
I wholeheartedly agree with this. You need to stay fit, creative, and connected – and enjoy the process of getting there!
Some might also include “one to make you money” in the 3 hobbies, but I’ll talk about how you can monetize them in the second half of this article.
Types of Hobbies
Let’s give you some examples of popular hobbies to choose from if you don’t already have one of each:
1. A hobby that keeps you fit:
This is a fun hobby to provide you with exercise and keep you physically and mentally fit. Pick any:
- Yoga
- Lifting
- Dancing
- Hiking / Trekking
- Martial Arts like boxing, MMA, etc.
- Solo sports such as swimming, cycling, gymnastics, etc.
- Jogging / Running (Find an app called C25K for your phone)
- Team sports such as football, basketball, hockey, etc. (as a bonus, they’ll help you make new friends wherever you go)
2. A hobby that lets you be creative:
This hobby needs to provide you with a creative outlet. Often, they can even be spun off as a source of income.
- Gardening
- Graphic design
- Drawing and painting
- Learning new languages
- Games like chess, poker, etc.
- Running a social media account
- Reading books and summarizing them
- Writing online (for example, this website)
- Performance arts like dancing, singing, etc. (also provides exercise)
3. A hobby that helps you network:
This one should allow you to meet new people and interact with them for some amount of time. If you ever switch cities, this should help you make new friends.
- Team sports
- Traveling in groups
- Volunteering locally
- Board game clubs (like chess)
- Going to museums, art galleries, etc.
- Partying (limited amounts – see above)
- Public Speaking (Try a Toastmasters club)
- Creating content online – writing, YouTube videos, podcasts (helps you network with people all over the world)
Monetizing Your Hobbies
While you’re at it, find a way to monetize your hobbies. Monetized hobbies make great side businesses.
Of all of the above, the easiest hobbies to monetize are the creative ones. There will always be demand for creativity.
In fact, you’re looking at a monetized hobby right now! When you buy something I recommend after clicking on a link here, I make a small commission that comes at no cost to you – win-win.
Drawings, paintings, graphic design skills can be sold – it’s really easy to monetize a creative hobby.
An extensive network can also be monetized. Think in win-win scenarios.
Can you help two people meet and do a real estate deal? They’ll gladly pay you a commission for bringing them together.
Find a way to add value to others, and they’ll cover you for it.
(Don’t do it for the money though. The money that you get from monetizing a hobby is a fringe benefit)
~I don’t know which ones to pick / how do I decide?~
Randomly try a lot of things and see what sticks.
Hobbies are about enjoyment/fulfillment – pick the ones that you enjoy the most.
Make sure that they complement your lifestyle – if you’re an introverted person, pick some that will keep you around people.
If you’re an extrovert, pick hobbies that let you introspect and reflect.
Most importantly, relax and have fun!
Hope this helps.
Your Man,
Harsh Strongman
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