Being good at what you do – as an employee or boss,  spouse and/or parent – requires diligent work and many hours of your time and lives.  You may begin to feel as though this is all that you are.   You may feel that accountant or wife or stepmom defines you.  And while in some ways this may be true, you are not the sum of these labels.   What are your passions?  What sparks you and makes you feel alive?  You shouldn’t feel guilty if you are excited about your medical practice or your children.  That just means that you are on the right track.  The jobs that you do and the positions that you hold  offer a sense of fulfillment, but hobbies can bring an enthusiasm and a pleasure that enriches life.

If you haven’t found the right hobby, then keep looking.  The “pursuit of happiness” is half the fun.  Here are some areas in which to explore when choosing a hobby or finding your passion.

• Enrichment hobbies – Educational pursuits that improve the mind.
  • Foreign language study
  • Reading
  • Writing/blogging
  • Music/musical instruments
• Sports – Physical activity is a terrific way to burn stress and build health.
  • Jogging/walking
  • Horseback riding
  • Yoga
  • Team sports: volleyball, bowling, soccer
• Social activities – Sometimes “social butterflies” benefit most from a hobby that involves friends and/or meeting new people.
  • Card games
  • Dinner or Movie club
  • Ballroom dancing
  • Volunteering
• Creative hobbies – A creative outlet is, for many people, a good way to find out what they are made of.
  • Scrapbooking
  • Needle arts: embroidery, cross-stitch
  • Jewelry making
  • Drawing/painting/photography
  • Pottery (remember Ghost?)
• Collecting – Adding items to a collection of objects that you find interesting is a fun, goal-oriented pursuit.
  • Antiques
  • Decor
  • Postcards
  • Genealogy
• Outdoors – Getting outside provides the fresh air, physical activity, and beauty that so many people crave.
  • Hiking/letterboxing/geocaching
  • Bird-watching
  • Hunting/fishing
• Domestic hobbies – Just because you might perform these activities as a duty to your family doesn’t mean that you might not thoroughly enjoy opportunities to explore and create in this area.
  • Cooking/baking
  • Knitting
  • Quilting

What hobbies do you do that you are passionate about?  What passions have you yet to explore as a hobby?  Members to ListPlanIt will find the lists they need to schedule time in their day and to organize their hobbies in Personal Interests.  Not yet a member?  Join today for just $5 and get organized to feel liberated to follow your passions.