It’s official y’all, I have way too many hobbies and interests. (I guess that makes me a victim of being too well-rounded?!)
On top of working like a maniac at my full-time job, part-time job, home business, and my online entrepreneurial pursuits, I’ve also taken on a lot of volunteer work for my community.
I guess it all started because I’m incapable of saying “no”. When I’m asked to volunteer for XYZ organization, or help with ABC event I almost always say yes.
Now volunteering and having hobbies and interests isn’t a bad thing, but when you get to the point that you spend 98% of your time working or volunteering your time for others, it can get a little tiring.
With that in mind, here are a couple of potential downsides of always saying “Yes” to taking on more activities.
There’s No You Time
The biggest potential downside of always saying yes is the lack of time you’ll be able to spend on yourself. I can’t remember the last time I sat down and read a book or just did something because I wanted to. I used to love reading books, not to learn about SEO or Pinterest Marketing to build my business, but just for fun.
For those of you with kids, taking time out of your busy schedule for yourself will make you a better parent (or so I’m told by my friends with kids). It will help you feel better about yourself and lower your stress level, which will make the everyday messes that come with having kids seem less daunting.
It Can Get Expensive
There are two reasons why having too many hobbies can get expensive. First, most hobbies require some sort of spending to participate. For instance, if you love sports and want to play in your community’s adult sports league, there’s usually a fee to sign up. Plus you have to buy new equipment periodically, and you probably need to replace your workout clothes and shoes once in a while too.
Another example would be a book club. I’m in a book club and I love it because I love to read and it is very low cost. I always try to borrow our monthly book from the local library so I don’t have to spend money on buying it. Of course, that’s not always possible. Sometimes I have to shell out $4.00 on Amazon to get our monthly book. Plus we rotate bringing snacks. This isn’t a big deal, but it does cost more money when it’s your turn to bring the snack.
The other way that hobbies can get expensive is in the time they take. I can’t wait to be able to quit my full-time job and become self-employed. One of the things that I’m most looking forward to is being able to work my own hours. I’ll be able to work as much (or little) as I want. But that does mean that every hobby, volunteer activity, and new interest I develop is going to take time away from my income producing business activities.
As I said before, having hobbies and interests is certainly not a bad thing. In fact, they are a great way to learn new skills and have some fun. Sometimes they can even be a good way to spend time with your family and friends. But they also have potential downsides, like a lack of time for relaxing and (sometimes) a financial cost. Don’t forget to take these into account next time before you say “yes” to a new obligation.
Are you always a “yes” person? Do you seem to give too much of your time away? Let us know how you cope in the comments below!
I drive my husband crazy by signing the whole family up for an activity (say a family bike ride with another family, or volunteering at church) without asking him first. As an extrovert, I find these things so energizing, and as an introvert he cringes. I certainly need to work on being more thoughtful about my husband’s opinion when it comes to these types of matters.
That’s a good point Hannah! I used to hate when I got “volunteered” for things by my family or friends, although I probably would’ve said yes anyway. It’s not because I’m introverted, it’s just that I wanted to be in control of my time and activities instead of them deciding for me that I had time for whatever new activity.
I like to keep my hobbies flexible where I don’t include obligations to someone else. After what seems like a lifetime of being told what to do and when to do it before I retired early I seem to be unwilling to be locked down by anyone or feel any unnecessary guilt because of disappointing someone with my No-Show. I always say when asked if I can be counted on to attend that we will see, I can’t guarantee where I will be or what I will be doing that day, but I will try.