Too many hobbies

[Mounds]

Anyone else have this problem? I could walk into a library or book store and browse every section (except sports). I love it all. It's actually kind of debilitating. Right now, I'm reading a Tom Clancy novel, "The Memory Book" by Jerry Lucas and Harry Lorayne, and just started "What Every Body is Saying" by Joe Navarro. My wish list on Amazon has every topic imaginable (physics, chemistry, philosophy, behavior, trivia stuff, ect.).
In addition, I'm taking a horticulture certificate and NLP next year. Aside from that, active hobbies are Muay Thai kickboxing, jui jitsu, guitar, drawing, insect collecting, fossil collecting, cooking and archery.
I did play a fair amount of video games up until six months ago. Lately, playing has been more a force of habit. I'll play for 30-45 minutes and think "Man this is boring." Shut it off and a couple days later, same thing. I maybe watch an hour of tv every two days. Internet, 1.5 hours a day.
Lately my issue is that I almost feel like I have an obligation to neglected hobbies. Anyone have tips on prioritizing them? I think reading is very important so that ranks right up there, same with health (cooking and martial arts) and education (NLP and Hort). I think I just answered half my own question but suggestions are welcome!

-Tim

[stayfly]

it's a great benifit to have so many interests

to avoid getting overwhelmed though, my advice would be to run a 80/20 on them all. ask questions like "what 20% of my hobbies provide 80% of my excitement/interest/enjoyment/happiness/fullfillment?" and focus on doing just those hobbies that are providing the most benifits

[ssandra]

Or maybe you are a scanner? Are you a scanner? | Magical Chest

Don't feel guilty when your hobbies fade away. They had their time, now it is time for new ones, also interesting!

[supertom]

You sound pretty cool to me, have you tried sanda/sanshou ??

[PerDev]

Its good to explore things.. I like it.

[rtypo]

I was about to open a similar thread. Too much hobbies, too little time.

I don't want to abandon any of them, they're all precious to me. Too bad I don't get paid for doing them.

It's only spare time management. You could spend the minimum necessary time that you can improve at each particular hobby.

Some hobbies require daily practice for 1 hour, others once a week. Some mean reading books, articles, forums on the internet. It's not wasted time! Just don't forget tot enjoy your free time, for that's the point of hobbies.

Edit: ssandra, thanks, I have read the article and it applies to me.

[newmark]

It's great to have lot's of interests. I do too. The only way I can cope with all my interests is to do the ones I love the most first. If I have time I'll do the others too. I never try to equally divide my time between my hobbies, but I do try and make sure I have a balance of activities that involve physically active with inactive, and social too.

[Mogget]

Have a read of Barbara Sher's Refuse to Choose - has a number of ways to handle loads of interests.

[PaulW1956]

It's great that have so many interests and able to follow them too.

If you feel you need to shed some of your interests than go ahead and do it, otherwise carry on and they'll probably drop away over time.

If you want to drop some off now perhaps you could start by looking more closely at the interests where you spend the shortest period of time.

As stayfly suggested use the 80/20 rule and be honest with yourself.

Ask yourself a few searching questions.

What will you lose out on if you drop off . . . ? (fill in the blank with your interest)
What will you not lose out on if you drop off . . . ? (fill in the blank with your interest)
What will you lose out on if you don't drop off . . . ? (fill in the blank with your interest)
What will you not lose out on if you don't drop off . . . ? (fill in the blank with your interest)

I hope they help.

Regards

Paul

[ar81]

I used to have such a problem.
I discovered that I should dedicate to one hobbie a week.

[rtypo]

Originally Posted by ar81

I discovered that I should dedicate to one hobbie a week.

Some hobbies require weekly (or even daily) practice.

[supertom]

hey tim
Start seeing where they overlap, that where when you learn and improve in one hobby get better at a couple.


What if You Have More Than One Passion?
What if You Have More Than One Passion? « Scott H Young

[funnyav]

Refuse to Choose!: A Revolutionary ... - Google Books

[AdamA]

Originally Posted by Mounds

Anyone else have this problem? I could walk into a library or book store and browse every section (except sports). I love it all. It's actually kind of debilitating. Right now, I'm reading a Tom Clancy novel, "The Memory Book" by Jerry Lucas and Harry Lorayne, and just started "What Every Body is Saying" by Joe Navarro. My wish list on Amazon has every topic imaginable (physics, chemistry, philosophy, behavior, trivia stuff, ect.).
In addition, I'm taking a horticulture certificate and NLP next year. Aside from that, active hobbies are Muay Thai kickboxing, jui jitsu, guitar, drawing, insect collecting, fossil collecting, cooking and archery.
I did play a fair amount of video games up until six months ago. Lately, playing has been more a force of habit. I'll play for 30-45 minutes and think "Man this is boring." Shut it off and a couple days later, same thing. I maybe watch an hour of tv every two days. Internet, 1.5 hours a day.
Lately my issue is that I almost feel like I have an obligation to neglected hobbies. Anyone have tips on prioritizing them? I think reading is very important so that ranks right up there, same with health (cooking and martial arts) and education (NLP and Hort). I think I just answered half my own question but suggestions are welcome!

-Tim

I know what you mean about the bookstore. I just do 1 or 2 hobbies (actively) at the most. Sometimes I'll try and combine a hobby with friends so that my spending time with friends also counts as doing a hobby. For instance, going for a run with a friend.

Then are things I do when I'm on break that I normally never get the time to do.

[PhoenixFlames]

Wow Mounds, can I ask are you "gifted" or do you feel overloaded by your Hobbies?

By gifted I mean if you can occupy your Mind and live such a Physical Lifestyle (doing Muay Thai and Ju JitSu together takes some beating), if you feel "under challenged" and want more challenging things contact a "gifted persons" organisation.
I didn't catch your age, but I know when I did school admission enquiries this one parent said her Son in Play School aged 4 was gifted as he knew Maths, Reading and Art Skills well beyond his years and had a very enquring mind that would challenge the most skceptical of adults.

However if you're feeling overloaded, and if you are "a jack of all trades but a Master of None" then it might be worth scaling back or cutting things out altogether.
At my peak I was studying Tae Kwon Do, Aikido, Jeet Kundo, Judo- whilst Weight Training, Swimming, playing Guitar, Meditating and studying Media Studies full time.

However as I never got to 2nd Dan Black Belt World Class Champion in either Martial Art or didn't become a Steve Vai Guitar Maestro, or a Professional Body Builder, Spiritual Leader or Media Mogul- it is safe to say I should've stuck to two.

[rtypo]

Originally Posted by PhoenixFlames

Wow Mounds, can I ask are you "gifted" or do you feel overloaded by your Hobbies?[...]
However as I never got to 2nd Dan Black Belt World Class Champion in either Martial Art

Easy with the comparisons here, you've made a mistake. Hobbies are to enjoy doing, not to reach peaks of performance.

For example, Steve Vai practiced 8 hours a day in High School as I remember him saying. For him this was all or nothing, but not a hobby! As a hobbyist guitar player 20 minutes a day is enough. You just have to enjoy it!

[findinginspiration]

I'm sure there's a medical or psychological term out there for this personality type, but I am the same way. NEVER am I bored. I love alone time because I have many interests that I can put forth my energy towards. Never am I wondering what to do with myself. Sounds like you are much the same way with so many interests and hobbies!

[brendannz]

Originally Posted by rtypo

Easy with the comparisons here, you've made a mistake. Hobbies are to enjoy doing, not to reach peaks of performance.

hobbies are also an excellent way to meet new people and have more fun

[brendannz]

My hobbies;

Painting, running my art business and growing my sideline income. Internet, I work online from home, so I'm on the internet all the time.

Basketball- Watching the NBA and playing ball,

Watching other sports - cricket and rugby.

Playing poker with mates,

listening to music, sometimes going to shows.

Other hobbies seem to come and go..

[Aleksander Krstic]

What If You Have Many Different Interests and Cannot Commit to Any of Them?

[Mounds]

Hi fellow posters,

Thanks for all the replies. I sure do feel gifted with lots of interests. Makes learning pretty easy as well.
I think the whole situation comes down to time management. I have to remember that I have a wife, lol. If I spend too much time doing my own things, she starts to voice her discontent (which is fine).
Anyway, the only martial arts I seriously tried are Jiu Jitsu (Jishin Do) and Muay Thai. Did Jiu Jitsu first but didn't think the defenses would work in all situations. Looked at Muay Thai because of the hand to hand aspect of it. I've also tried weapons in the past like tonfa, kama, bo, nunchaku and even throwing knives.
If I'm really honest, I get a lot of my drive from wanting to be a really good dad. I want to be able to defend my family (MA), be healthy enough to see them grow up (MA and cooking), teach them things (books, bugs, fossils), be entertaining for them (guitar) and be able to financially provide for years to come (NLP and horticulture). My parents had a vast amount of knowledge and skills when I was growing up and I want to provide the same thing. In fact, I probably got my tendencies to learn from my parents.
For general knowledge when I was younger, I was at a Grade 12 reading level in Grade 6 (reading Stephen King when others read Goosebumps). I remember the first "big" novel I read was Dean Koontz "Watchers". Took me a month but I did it! When I was 10, I could describe the scientific names of hundreds of insects, all self taught. I would also write letters to insect collectors in SE Asia, claiming to be an entomologist because it was easier than telling them I was a 10 y/o kid. I was attending entomologist meetings at age 13. Not bragging but just saying that the human brain can do much more than it is credited for!

-Tim