Resetting My Hobbies
I was on a blind date not too long ago, and she asked me, “What would you be doing tonight if you weren’t taking me out on a date?” I knew “Sitting at home, bemoaning the fact that I don’t have a girlfriend” wasn’t the right answer. Well, I mean, it was not the answer I was supposed to give in that scenario. However, that seems to be what I have been doing on the weekends lately. That gets old really quickly, or so my high school self thought. Sitting on the couch watching Star Trek all night, while fun, does not do much for my metal health. If you have read my previous The Weekly Reset posts, you know that is something that needs a lot of attention these days. I need to be doing something with my free time.
It’s time for a RESET!
The Issue
When asked about my interests, I list off a few things, but I do not consistently do those things…
I say I write, but it has been a long time since I have written much poetry. I just published one book, and I am getting really close to finishing that writing project I wrote about a few weeks ago. Once that is done, I will have a large gap in my day. I like having a book project on my plate.
I have stopped telling people I do community theater for fun, but I still have the itch to do theater. I know why I have stopped doing it. Community theater takes up a lot of your time. I do not want to commit to rehearsing five nights per week for two months, and I do not know of any theater companies that only rehearse a few nights per week. Despite the time commitment, I still have the itch to perform on stage. I also want to get to sleep at a decent hour. Being involved in theater makes it hard to do that.
I like intelligent thought and learning. How often do I read? Not often. Why am I not taking advantage of those resources I have? I have plenty of books. Why do I not read more?
I used to make balloon animals. I liked challenging myself to create unique designs with balloons, but I rarely do that anymore. It has been a long time since I have made balloon animals purely for my own enjoyment. It seems the only reason I have made balloon animals in the past few years is to show others I can do it.
In last week’s blog post, I wrote about wanting to go play board games at a local board game shop. I wrote that at least two weeks ago. Have I gone there yet? No, I have not. I like board games, and I am fairly good at them. I have played a boardgames with other people in a long time.
So, to sum up, I would like to have hobbies, but I currently do not practice any of them. The only thing close to a hobby I sometimes do on a regular basis is learning a language on Duolingo (if you are curious, I’m learning Klingon), but that is not something that involves being with other people, which is something I am looking for in a hobby.
My Why
Just like last week, I want to be happy, and I do not want to be alone or bored.
Also, I want to be around people more. My introversion just cringed, but I need more human interaction. Not only will this help my mental health, but the more people I meet, the more people I can tell about my business. Reset ADHD can grow more if I am more active in the community.
Lastly, I would like to get married someday. What I am doing right now is not helping me meet any available women. If I want something different, I need to do something different.
Who I Want to Be
I want to be an interesting person. I have always thought that I have a unique set of interests, but if I am always doing the same thing, I am not the eccentric person I would like to be. Wearing emerald green chinos while I write this does not make me a unique person if no one is around to see them.
Also, my sense of humor is an important part of me. I like laughing and making others laugh. If I am around people more, I will have the opportunity to laugh and make others laugh more.
Strengths-Based Strategies
Maybe if I read more it will solve my lack of writing problem. Also, I like Star Trek. There are Star Trek books. I could read them (including A Stitch in Time which I am currently reading at an incredibly slow pace due to how infrequently I pick it up).
While writing this post, I actually went over to Facebook and posted my acting predicament in a group for actors in my area to see if anyone had any ideas or suggestions for me. That would be an example of taking a weakness and turning it into a strength. I am an introvert, so reaching out to people is difficult for me. However, the ease of dropping a post into a group like that is no problem for me.
One way to get me to do balloon animals more is to challenge myself to do something I have never done before. It might help if the challenges came from other people. So, dear reader, let me know what balloon animals you would like to see? Don’t tell me to make a bicycle. Every balloon artist has heard that joke a thousand times. You are not original. Yes, I could make a bike if I really wanted to make one, but I am sick of everyone quoting that movie. I’m not even sure which movie it is. Wedding Crashers maybe?
Talking about all of this is fine and dandy, but if I want to actually follow through on this, I need it in my calendar. Yes, you read that right. I need a schedule for my free time. Okay, not a strict schedule, so to speak. I want to leave room for spontaneity, but I need structure to make this happen. I at least need to have an idea of some things I could be doing in my free time. I do not have to do everything, but I should have some goals for increasing the amount of time I spend doing my hobbies and trying new things.