No Time for Hobbies? Maybe They're Not That Important

 

This week on the podcast, we talked about hobbies, and I have to laugh a little bit because I have so many of them. For me, anything I do recreationally, whether I’m serious about it or not, is a hobby. I use the term very loosely. I might even admit that taking a nap is a hobby – a favorite one – even though I don’t get to do it as often as I like. If it’s not work or a household chore, and I enjoy doing it, then it’s a hobby to me.

I have a few hobbies I’ve kept around for most of my life – like reading. I love reading. I don’t get to spend as much time reading as I used to because the lack of naps makes me tired, and as soon as I start reading, I start falling asleep. When I was younger and more energetic, I read off and on all day. I would even sometimes finish a book in one day.

I like binge-watching TV, too, if you can call that a hobby. But I never just watch TV without something else to do at the same time. Maybe I’ll scrapbook or work a Diamond Dots pattern. I’ve spent many hours hand-stitching the binding on quilts. When I was younger, it was almost always crochet.

Crochet is one of those lifelong hobbies. I first learned how when I was about eight. My mother and my great-grandmother taught me. They were both quite accomplished crocheters. My Grandma Thacker made me an afghan when I was in high school that I still have to this day. She was also well-known for her baby booties, which I eventually learned how to replicate.

I do a little sewing, too. I like to make quilts. I’ve made a few t-shirt quilts for my family, and I have more shirts stashed aside to create even more. I just finished a quilt for my granddaughter. It took me a long time to do it…more than two years. There was just so much going on all the time I could never manage my schedule enough to make time for it. 

And that’s a bald-faced lie. 

The truth is that I didn’t make time for it. We often tell ourselves that we don’t have time for this or that, but the truth is that we have plenty of time for the things we prioritize. Think about that for a minute. Whatever is most important to you, that is what you will spend your time doing. Wow! That makes me sound like a terrible grandma! But it’s true. Part of me said that I could wait and not rush the quilt project because I could get it to her any time, and there were more important things I needed to deal with. Were those other things really that important? Some of them. Others were just things I chose to do instead, like scrolling on my phone or mindlessly eating popcorn while watching TV. If I had dedicated even 10 minutes daily to working on that quilt, it could have been finished a year ago (or sooner)!

Don’t let poor planning and messed up priorities interfere with the things you need to do or the things you say you want to do. If it’s really important to you, make the time for it. And don’t forget that hobbies and downtime are important and should be scheduled, too. It helps us rest, rejuvenate, and refill our inner well. Just don’t over-prioritize the fun over what’s truly important to you. If you consistently prioritize other things over something you say is important, then maybe it’s time to reassess its importance and let it go.