Ah, the long awaited “part 2” to this three part series. Ironically enough, I needed this installment myself just to get it done. Keeping your hobbies rolling is something easy to become stale at. Motivation can deteriorate due to many outside combatants. Work, family stresses, personal struggles, financial strain, or just plain old burnout can cause us to lose drive for our hobbies. How can we push through?

Management

For me, I struggle to keep multiple hobbies in check. I can easily stress trying to keep going with them all. I know I’m not the only one. How can you manage several hobbies? Start by cutting off some that may not be relevant to you anymore. Sometimes it is best to say goodbye, and in turn, potentially sell anything associated to help drive a hobby you’re more likely to hang on to. Recently, I had to do this myself with rock climbing. However, by selling some of my gear, I was able to fund a couple other things and keep the fire stoked. Regulate the time you spend on each hobby as well. Set aside time for each one so that you don’t bounce around willy nilly and end up not getting the quality out of them.

Two is Better than One

Most, if not all, of my hobbies are shared with friends. This creates accountability. That, in turn, keeps you going and pushing for that next step. It also does the same for your friends. If you’re extroverted like I am, you tend to get more out of your hobbies when you can share the results with other like-minded ones. There is nothing better than to motivate others with what you find enjoyable, and have that reciprocated back to you. So find out what you can do with your friends or family. Help them help you with your hobbies. Motivation will kick in to gear and keep the momentum going.

The Breakdown

So to summarize, here is a breakdown of enjoying your hobbies thus far:

• Maintain the hobbies that resonate with you the most.
• Make sure you have the funds to keep it steadily rolling. If not, make a game plan to stretch it out.
• Keep hobbies that coincide with one another. Oil and water don’t mix, neither do unrelated hobbies.
• Understand when it’s time to let one go, and use those resources to fuel other passions.
• Hold yourself accountable and share your hobbies with your friends and family.