How to Discover New Hobbies

Ever catch yourself scrolling through social media, watching other people do cool stuff, and thinking “I wish I had a hobby like that”?

I’ve been there. A few years back, I realized my evenings consisted of League of Legends and movies. Not exactly thrilling. That’s when I decided to actually do something about it instead of just complaining about being bored.

Turns out, finding a hobby you actually stick with isn’t as simple as picking something random and hoping for the best. There’s a bit of strategy involved.

Where to Actually Start

The advice “just try everything” sounds nice but it’s garbage. You’ll burn out fast and waste money on supplies you’ll never use again.

Start With What You Already Know

Look at what you’re already doing in your spare time. Seriously binge-watching cooking shows? Maybe you should actually try cooking something harder than pasta. Always stopping to pet dogs on walks? Dog training or volunteering at shelters might be your thing.

I started photography because I kept taking phone pictures of random stuff during lunch breaks. Turned out I had an eye for it – who knew?

Mine Your Childhood

This one actually works. What did you do as a kid when nobody was telling you what to do?

Don’t overthink it – if you loved drawing comic books at 12, maybe illustration or graphic design could work now.

Test Drive Before You Buy

Here’s where most people mess up: they buy a bunch of expensive gear before they know if they’ll actually like the hobby.

Don’t be that person with a $500 guitar gathering dust in the corner.

Instead:

• Borrow or rent equipment first
• Take a single class, not a whole course
• Start with the cheapest version of whatever you want to try
• Give yourself permission to quit if it sucks

Actually Talk to People

I know, revolutionary concept. But seriously, ask friends what they do for fun. You might discover your coworker makes amazing pottery or your neighbor is into amateur radio.

The best part? Most hobby people love talking about their hobby. They’ll tell you everything you want to know and probably let you try it out.

Why You’re Actually Not Starting

Let’s be honest about the real reasons people don’t pick up hobbies:

“I Don’t Have Time”

You have time. You just spend it doing other stuff. I’m not judging – we all have our screen time stats that would make us cry.

But if you can binge-watch an entire season in a weekend, you can spare 30 minutes twice a week for a hobby. Start stupidly small. Even 15 minutes counts.

”Everything Costs Too Much”

Some hobbies are expensive. Others aren’t. Drawing needs paper and a pencil. Running needs shoes you probably already own. Reading needs a library card.

Start cheap, upgrade later if you stick with it.

”I’m Bad at Everything”

Of course you are. That’s what being a beginner means. The goal isn’t to be good immediately – it’s to have fun while you’re bad at something.

I still can’t take a decent photo of moving objects, but I enjoy trying. That’s literally the point.

”People Will Judge Me”

Most people are too busy worrying about their own stuff to care about your beginner pottery class. And the ones who do judge? They’re not people you want to be around anyway.

Some Ideas to Get You Started

If you’re completely stuck, here are some options that don’t require huge commitments:

If you like making things: Cooking, woodworking, knitting, drawing, photography, gardening, origami

If you like moving around: Dancing, hiking, yoga, rock climbing, skateboarding, martial arts

If you like learning stuff: Chess, languages, astronomy, reading, podcasting, coding

If you like fixing things: Car maintenance, home improvement, electronics, sewing

If you like music: Guitar, piano, singing, DJing, music production

If you like collecting: Vinyl records, books, vintage clothes, coins, plants

The key is picking something that matches your personality and lifestyle. Don’t force yourself into a hobby because it looks cool on Instagram.

Just Start Somewhere

Look, finding the perfect hobby is like finding the perfect job or partner – it takes time and you’ll probably go through a few duds first.

The important thing is to start. Pick something that seems mildly interesting and give it a real shot for a month. If it doesn’t click, try something else.

You’re not signing a life contract here. You’re just trying to have some fun and maybe learn something new.

Now stop reading articles about hobbies and go try one.