I saw somebody make a statement on Facebook that has stuck with me. It went something like “Have Three Hobbies: One to Make You Money, One Where You Can Be Creative, and One to Keep You Fit.” I think that’s really good advice. A Lot of us don’t have all three of these hobbies in our personal bag of tricks. We want to enjoy life, but somewhere along the line, we let one of these areas grow to swallow the other two. Or we don’t do any of them at all! If that’s you, it’s time to make a change. It may seem that a life spent doing things you enjoy is unattainable, but the three hobbies principle makes it possible. Here’s how I do it.

1)     Investment. I found out in the past couple of years that I like money. I like to learn about it, write about it, budget it, and invest it. I like watching money grow, and I like to spend it. By letting money be a hobby in and of itself, I was able to devote a healthy amount of time to wealth-creation. Because I don’t make any money at my other two hobbies, this felt like a nice balance. I wasn’t spending all day every day thinking about money, just the time I spent devoted to this one topic. In the past couple of years I have bought a house and started some formal investments in the stock market. I read books, magazines, and blog articles about finance. I invest in the forex market. And all of this amounts to something I really enjoy doing. I’m able to even help others who want to know more about money and how to better use it in their own lives. For me, this hobby is rewarding and one that I will keep up for the rest of my life. Before too long, I think it will replace my other modes of income. ‘

2)     Yoga and Having a Dog. I try to be active for at least 30 minutes a day. Because I work from home, it can be hard to get away and go to the gym. And that’s not really what I enjoy anyway. So I started doing yoga. And last year I got a dog. This dog ( a giant schnauzer, if you are interested) needs a lot of exercise every day. So we go out and play at the park for at least half an hour twice a day. She loves when I chase her and throw balls and wrestle. It keeps me active and out of the house when I’m not at home working or doing yoga. I’m fitter than I’ve ever been in my life (though that’s not saying much).

3)     Making Music. I also make a lot of music with friends, using synths, drum machines, and vocals. This is a kind of music production that I’m interested in for its own sake. I’m not making any money at it, but it scratches the creative itch. All together these three hobbies are more than fulfilling. 

Categories: General