Why You Should Work Less and Spend More Time on Hobbies

As professionals around the world feel increasingly pressed for time, they’re giving up on things that matter to them. A recent HBR article noted that in surveys, most people “could name several activities, such as pursuing a hobby, that they’d like to have time for.”
This is more significant than it may sound, because it isn’t just individuals who are missing out. When people don’t have time for hobbies, businesses pay a price. Hobbies can make workers substantially better at their jobs.

This article resonated with a lot of stuff I’ve seen from Austin Kleon this year and some of the ideas from Digital Minimalism.

The “turn your passion into a job” movement seems to have result in us constantly working rather than “never working a day in our lives”.

I’ve heard far too many stories of becoming a professional raining the passion.

Just this week I talked with a colleague who published her first YouTube video in a year (she makes game reviews). Now that her job is making YouTube tutorials, she find it harder to find the time.

I’ve seen the same thing with my writing. I keep going and writing and have a habit in streaks, my habit tracking app, but it changed from more content strategy focused to self expression (and even that I do less).

One of the reasons I’ve recently got more into pens, calligraphy and drawing is to counter the time I spent at a screen all day. I don’t want this to become my profession, writing is my profession.

This is a hobby, one I’d like to get better at but ultimately, I’d rather it stay free of work baggage and never make me a dime than bring me a fortune and become stale and dull…though you should probably test my resolve on that statement if it was possible.