Hi, my name is Rick and I’m a workaholic.
Since I was in my mid-twenties, I have lived by the Floyd Hammer motto, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” I have not punched a clock since I was 24 because I don’t need someone telling me when to start work or when to stop. I don’t wait all week until Friday nor do I dread Monday. I love what I do but I can, at times, be too consumed with it.
However, I have learned that my work productivity significantly improves if I spend time on my hobbies; woodworking, fly fishing, photography and writing. If you don’t have a hobby, let me suggest a few reason why they’re good for you.
5 Reasons You Need a Hobby
- Hobbies tap into your creativity – Whether you admit it or not, you are a creative person; each person is born with a creative streak. I’ve often wondered why there are arts and craft in kindergarten and not in high school. Early childhood development folks understand how important it is to foster creativity.
Made for me by my grandchildren
- Hobbies help your mind find solutions to problems – Sometimes when I am overwhelmed by a challenge, I’ll go to my wood shop or grab my fly rod. I don’t do it to get-away-from-it-all, I do it because I’ve discovered I find a lot of answers while I’m sanding a board or unhooking a fish.
Breckenridge Rainbow
- Hobbies help you to relax – While woodworking and fly fishing help me relax, golfing does not. I don’t keep score with fish, but I do keep score with golf. For some dumb reason only my mind knows, whenever I keep score, I become extremely competitive and that’s not a good thing.
My Writing Desk
- Hobbies are good way to build new relationships – I have met some of the most inspirational, creative and fun people through my hobbies. Whether its the South Kansas Woodturners or legendary fishermen like Jim Brown and Bruce Smith, I meet incredible people.
Bruce Smith catching bass at Barrett Lake, CA
- Hobbies provide ways for me to give delight to others – Everyone loves a handcrafted gift or the ability to learn something new. I enjoy creating wood projects as gifts for people as well as teaching someone new how to fly fish. The opportunity to give delight to others is another one of those natural parts of us that we are designed to do. Just ask a five-year-old.
I’d be curious to know what your hobbies are and why you like them so much.
I’d also be curious to know why you don’t have any hobbies, if that is the case, and how soon you plan on starting. I’d be happy to share what I know with you to help you start! Just let me know…