Forty Years Of My Hobbies

The Common Thread – Learning To Believe In Myself

You might not have spotted it, but many of my hobbies have something in common: they’re things I can do on my own. I don’t need anyone else involved unless I choose to ask for help.

Over the years, I’ve discovered that I’m often capable of learning more than I give myself credit for. Unfortunately, I’ve also talked myself out of things. Learning to drive is one example. Somewhere along the way, I convinced myself I couldn’t do it, and consequently, I still don’t drive.

With the guitar, though, there’s a part of me that says, “Yeah, you can learn that.” I haven’t quite worked out how people strum with one hand while holding down the right strings with the other, but I suppose that’s what learning is all about. There’ll probably be a few interesting moments along the way.

I’ve had similar experiences with web design and gardening. I taught myself to build websites, and I’ve learnt to grow vegetables by reading, listening to people who know what they’re doing and experimenting for myself. Not everything has to work perfectly the first time. Sometimes, you just have to work out what works.

That same approach is something I need to apply to the remote-controlled car and the Insta360 X3. Both remain unfinished projects, but I know enough to recognise that getting started is often the hardest part.

Ultimately, my hobbies have given me something to focus on beyond the everyday business of life. They’ve allowed me to explore ideas, develop skills and enjoy creating things without needing to turn everything into a business or prove anything to anyone.

And when life has felt particularly difficult, having interests of my own has helped me maintain a sense of direction. I might put a project aside for years, but I don’t have to consider it a failure. Sometimes, the experience has already given me something worthwhile, even if the finished product never eventuates.

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