Make Time for Your Passions

As a child, you probably had many hobbies. Perhaps you played sports such as soccer and basketball with a recreational league. Maybe creating arts and crafts for your room or your parents was the best way for you to spend an afternoon. Despite how much time you spent on pastimes when you were younger, you probably do not make time for the things you love anymore. You spend all day at work, and after you come home, make dinner and take care of your children or pets, you have so little energy. You might spend some time scrolling through your phone, but that’s it. Don’t let yourself continue to live this way. Adulthood is the best time to develop your hobbies into true passions that will make you proud of yourself.

Many people participate in band or choir in elementary or middle school but do not want to make the larger commitment that music requires in high school and college. If you fit in this category, you’ve saved yourself a lot of time, but you have also deprived yourself of the chance to make music at an incredibly rewarding level. Thankfully, it’s never too late to rejoin the world of music. Get your trombone out of its case and add some slide grease, and you are ready to start playing again. Consider private lessons if you are not ready to jump into a community band or choir.

If you really want to take your passion for music to the next level, you should consider signing up for classes at your local community college. Take music history to get an overview of how music developed to its current point. Find out how melodies, chords and harmonies work in music theory. As you take classes, you may find that your curiosity about music only grows. You could even pursue an online music education masters degree and start working with music for your career.

Sports are something that most people enjoy as children. However, adults usually see exercising as a chore. Renew your love for physical activity by joining a recreational sports league for adults. You could play kickball with your coworkers one night a week or join a more intense league with formal teams that have a schedule of games. As you have fun at your events, you may find yourself working out more on your own time in order to be in better shape for games. Try not to focus on weight loss or other fitness goals right away. Instead, have fun and work hard. Once you’re back to enjoying the feeling of physical exertion, then you can start working towards accomplishing your goals.

As a little kid, you probably helped your parents make cookies or simple meals. After a long day at work, cooking is nowhere near as appealing as it was when you were younger. However, cooking can be a lot of fun and even an art form if you put the time into developing certain skills. Watch experts cook online to get an idea of certain techniques or read their books. Then, pick an area that you want to focus on. Perhaps you will become a jelly maker and dazzle your houseguests with your colorful jars of preservatives. Maybe you’d rather bake crusty loaves of warm, fresh bread. No matter which part of cooking you want to become better at, set aside a few evenings a week to devote to cooking. Get feedback from friends or family members who cook. As you get better, you’ll only want to do more. In the process, you’ll find yourself eating out less and less because you prefer the taste of your own food.

Don’t let yourself think that your days of hobbies and pastimes are over. Now that you are in charge of your schedule and finances, make time to do the things you love. You’ll be happier and more confident in yourself as you develop new skills and passions.