Don’t let your work become your hobby

Every web designer needs a hobby. I have long known this, but I haven’t had any hobbies for years. Work is constantly on my mind. I think about my project work, my blog posts, my workflows, setting up automations, training, client communication, deadlines, etc. It never ends. I don’t find it sad or empty, but I’ve felt like something was missing for a long time. If someone were to ask me what hobbies I enjoy, my honest answer would be web design. And coffee.

As a kid, drawing and art projects were my main hobbies. I also was a skater, played softball and basketball, and, believe it or not, bowled. It was the 70s, and we didn’t have smartphones, computers, or social media. The biggest distraction in life was a phone with a cord on it in the kitchen.

When my son was growing up, my hobbies were all related to him. Baseball scorekeeping, volunteering on the board of everything from preschool to the Little League. We did family bike rides and saw a few movies, but nothing was really a hobby for me.

A few weeks ago, my BNI group hosted an adult roller skating night at one of the only rinks in our area. I had driven by it for years but had yet to go in. I was instantly taken back to my childhood and love for skating. I laced up and timidly hit the rink. OMG. What happened to me? This was so hard. Everything hurt. Still, I grinned as I skated to Boogie Oogie Oogie. I was hooked.

This week, I got my new skates, wrist pads and, like a true self-employed freelancer, scheduled 12 weeks of skating nights on my calendar. I’m thrilled to hit the rink and forget about work; just for that hour, I’m skating. I feel rejuvenated!

Work is my passion, but that’s not a hobby. It’s a job. I didn’t know what I was missing until I laced up a pair of roller skates and left my work behind for a little while.

What hobbies do you have?

RESOURCES: Everyday Power – 7 Creative Hobbies That Will Make You Smarter and More Productive

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