It Came Down to Me or the Hobby
Part of having the good life is creating a balance between work, relationships, and hobbies. This unfortunately has eluded me. Typically the third category launches an assault on the other two, making it hard for me to work or sustain relationships when I’m in the midst of a full-blown hobby attack.
In the past, when I’ve tried to determine if I have a hobby problem, I’ve turned to the “Are you an alcoholic?” quiz. It asks questions like, “Has your spouse ever accused you of being an addict?” “Has it put you in dire financial straights?” “Have you ever been hospitalized because of it?” While I pass from a booze perspective, I miss about 7 of 10 when it comes to my hobby du jour.
Thus over the years I have developed a few simple strategies for lessening the impact of hobbies on my work, life, and finances:
1) Conservation of hobby money. I recently sold a guitar for $500. Did I spend it on a new dishwasher? Hell no! I put it into fly-fishing equipment. Hobby money in, hobby money out. But, but the same token, I try not to make any new investments without selling something first.
2) Take it out of the home. If you’re going to invest your entire Saturday in some dorky pursuit, take it somewhere your wife can’t see you doing it. Trust me.
3) Avoid becoming a collector. Has anyone ever gotten rich off Beanie Babies? Once something is “collectible” it means so many people are doing it that it ain’t worth the beans it’s stuffed with. Collecting is a black hole for hobby money.
4) Consider how people will react to your hobby. You’d be surprised how many people in Cambridge turn up their noses at bird-hunting but admire fly-fishing. Similarly, being a good flamenco dancer will be better received in certain circles than being a good Klingon.
5) Calculated hobby-switching can be beneficial. You may not be able to change your addictive personality, but with a little willpower you might be able to trade one hobby for a more socially or spousally acceptable one.
In the past, when I’ve tried to determine if I have a hobby problem, I’ve turned to the “Are you an alcoholic?” quiz. It asks questions like, “Has your spouse ever accused you of being an addict?” “Has it put you in dire financial straights?” “Have you ever been hospitalized because of it?” While I pass from a booze perspective, I miss about 7 of 10 when it comes to my hobby du jour.
Thus over the years I have developed a few simple strategies for lessening the impact of hobbies on my work, life, and finances:
1) Conservation of hobby money. I recently sold a guitar for $500. Did I spend it on a new dishwasher? Hell no! I put it into fly-fishing equipment. Hobby money in, hobby money out. But, but the same token, I try not to make any new investments without selling something first.
2) Take it out of the home. If you’re going to invest your entire Saturday in some dorky pursuit, take it somewhere your wife can’t see you doing it. Trust me.
3) Avoid becoming a collector. Has anyone ever gotten rich off Beanie Babies? Once something is “collectible” it means so many people are doing it that it ain’t worth the beans it’s stuffed with. Collecting is a black hole for hobby money.
4) Consider how people will react to your hobby. You’d be surprised how many people in Cambridge turn up their noses at bird-hunting but admire fly-fishing. Similarly, being a good flamenco dancer will be better received in certain circles than being a good Klingon.
5) Calculated hobby-switching can be beneficial. You may not be able to change your addictive personality, but with a little willpower you might be able to trade one hobby for a more socially or spousally acceptable one.
posted by Porterman at 5:57 PM
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