This was going to start as your run-of-the-mill “ new year, new me”, here are my resolutions for you to envy newsletter but the TLDR of it all is: I need a hobby.
I was well into adulthood when I realized that people do things to bring them joy. I think I spent most of my life doing things I felt like I had to do: work, school, rinse, and repeat. I never really understood why anyone would do things they weren’t required to do or spend money on things that didn’t give them a return. I know now the return is happiness, accomplishment, and sometimes (maybe) some solace from the pressures of everyday life.
I have pursued many hobbies, and it only left me with a long list of things I’m not good at. Painting, violin, crochet, tennis, cross stitch, and every group fitness class, to name a few. I tried and wanted to like these things but didn’t feel like I could be any good at, so why keep trying? I realize now that my mindset was missing the point. I don’t need to be Serena Williams to play tennis; it was just meant to be fun. Just fun, imagine that! If I ever got good at my hobby, that would be an added bonus, and with repeated practice, I would improve, but I just need something to look forward to and do for myself.
Being a stay at home mom of two young kids I feel like I have very little time to myself. When my children's nap times do overlap, there is a mountainous to-do list of housework, and I must make a choice. Relax, clean, eat, exercise, do laundry etc. I am trying to find little pockets in my day where I can take time for myself to pursue a hobby. Maybe this will give me a little joy or peace or alone time that I crave.
I am choosing the mindset that this time that I am setting aside for myself is not frivolous but essential to my well-being. In 2024 I refuse to feel guilty about the baskets of laundry unfolded or the toys scattered across the living room because I instead chose to read, write, or bake. It is easy to fall into the trap of I should be doing something more productive, but in time, I am hoping to balance my free ( i.e. childless) time accordingly.
With that, I have decided that 2024 is the year of the hobby, and I have already started out strong. We are a few weeks in, and I have baked (and failed at baking) many loaves of bread, read and listened to several books, made progress on a needlepoint project that will eventually be a key fob, and started this substack (YAY).
So far, I have been genuinely excited about my little free time so that I can completely destroy my kitchen by baking a loaf of bread. I am proud of the eight little squares that took me quite a while to finish my needlepoint project. I think of ideas to write about and leave myself a voice note or rush to my computer before the thought passes. I have become much more efficient in handling my time which has allowed me to make room for these little passion projects. More on how I am fitting this all in and my hobby “progress” in the future.
I hope this newsletter inspired you to take some time to pursue your hobby this year, or if you are like me, begin your journey to find one.