Have you ever considered how many hobbies you should have? Is there really a definite number? The answer is No.
However, time is finite and there is no way we can focus on a million things at a time.
There was a time I was juggling with web programming, writing, YouTube, graphic designing, and Photography at the same time. I was overwhelmed and paralyzed in the process.
We have jobs to do, family to be with and a lot of other stuff to do in a day. Making a choice on how many hobbies you should have is extremely important.
Barry Schwartz, a psychologist, did research on the paradox of choice and how people faced with multiple choices are faced with indecision.
According to him, the explosion in the number of choices we have makes it difficult to make a decision.
When faced with so many options to choose from our expectations go up and so we end up comparing for a long time and not choosing any. Learn more from his book
Another experiment done by Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper in 2000 called the Jam Study
found that 24 varieties of gourmet jam displayed in a store made it difficult for people to purchase as compared to only 6 varieties.
This begs the question, why?
Ryan Lilly once said “The choice to make good choices is the best choice you can choose. Fail to make that choice and on most choices you will lose.”
Why you should choose one hobby
Now that you understand the science behind decisions, here is a list of other reasons why it is important to laser focus and choose one hobby.
Increased energy levels
We only have so much energy in this life, and spreading it across a lot of hobbies will burn us out.
Allowing yourself to stretch so broad with so many hobbies can be exciting but you won’t get anything done and your energy level will tank.
Procrastination
Procrastination simply means delaying things to do for another time.
Remember times when you have so much homework because you couldn’t do everything because you forgot. Procrastination creeps in when you have so much to do and so little time to do them.
Losing motivation
Would you feel motivated to get up in the morning only to be bombarded with a flood of things to do? I guess not
Feeling of incompetence
A jack of all trades and a master of none as it is always said can really frustrate your life.
I for one always want to complete my goals for the day. So, when I have too much to do, I end feeling that I can’t get anything done. Having one specific hobby to focus on does the trick.
What to do if you are faced with choosing a hobby.
Picking a hobby should be fun, but it should be developed. Here is a list of things to do when faced with the issue of choosing a hobby.
Create a List
Use a journal and list out all your hobbies. Categorize them in order of priorities, and choose the one you can focus on and develop.
This particular technique comes from Warren Buffet when he was advising his pilot about making a choice with his goals.
I have a list of 21 hobbies you can pick from if you have difficulty finding one.
Organize your Schedule
Another solid way to keep focused on your hobby is to assemble and sort out your to-do task for the day, which of course includes your hobby.
Here is a list of apps that can help you to keep your projects and tasks for organized for the day:
- Trello
- Clickup
- Todoist
- Quire
- Columns
- ToDo
- Planyway
- Sortedapp
- Wunderlist
- Microsoft To-Do
- Tick Tick
- Things
- Remember The Milk
- Google Tasks
- Workflowy
- Google Keep
- Things 3
Or you can go traditional and use your journal which can also work.
Create a Deadline
Discipline is important in developing any skill. Having deadlines will help you to frame the times to focus on your hobby and develop it to the full extent possible.
Remember, back in school when you are given homework and a specific time frame to finish it. That work gets finished. Why? Because you know the teacher will be waiting for it the next day.
You can create deadlines with the Todoist app. Very efficient
Here are some tips on how to create effective deadlines for your hobby
- Plan your task for the day
- Break your tasks into manageable chunks
- Make them top-priority
- Personalize your tasks
- Create timestamps for each task
Ignore all Distractions
Distractions are killjoy and one of the main reasons you jump from one thing to another. Here is a list of steps to help you stop distractions and focus
- Start one task at a time
- Find a silent place to practice your hobby
- Clear your study space of all unnecessary things
- Turn off your phone throughout the period of your practice
Conclusion
If you ever find yourself focusing on too many hobbies? Take a mental step and ask the question, Do I want to be shallow or do I want to actually master this hobby?
If you also find yourself uninspired check some quotes to help you stay focused.
