What Makes People Happy, Part 2: Hobbies

Here's a happiness shopping list from CNN Money -- a set of items that people say make their lives happier (something money can only do to a point.) I'll be sharing all five of these over the next few days and today we're talking about hobbies. The details from Money:

The lives of happy people tend to have a lot of flow--the high-intensity, utterly absorbing state that can come from a hobby that takes skill and concentration--for example, mastering an instrument, playing 18 holes of golf or finishing a crossword puzzle.

Here are a few of the hobbies I'm involved in (to various degrees):

1. Cycling
2. Growing roses
3. Volunteering at church
4. Coaching youth basketball
5. Playing chess
6. Blogging ;-)

I must say that I do get a lot of satisfaction from these and life would be much more boring without them.

How about you, what hobbies do you have that make you happy?

BTW, if you can turn your hobby into an income, then you'd not only be happier at work, but your net worth could take off as well -- a double bonus!

Comments

[starleads]

Its good that people have hobbies to make them happy, that make life more interesting.

[starleads]

Its good that people have hobbies to make them happy, that makes life more interesting.

[John in Baltimore]

What started out 4 years ago as a hobby (painting on glass and creating hand painted candle lanterns and votives) has turned into my second job with a run rate this year of about 10K. What's great is that I still enjoy doing my art even though it has turned into a business venture. There are also a few upsides to this kind of "hobby" besides the income. First are all of the great people I get to meet (other artists, people who buy my work, folks at the art fairs and store owners etc). Second, what is now my avocation is slowly morphing into the vocation I hope to be in when I "retire" from healthcare. How great is that!

[Beth]

My hobbies at this point are quilting and watching baseball. I'm not seeing baseball turning into anything other than a place to spend money, but I try to do it as cheaply as I can (cheapest season tickets, bring my own food, bring my own water bottle). Quilting could turn into a money-making venture at some point in my life, but I'm still slowly learning right now, and enjoying it.

[David]

Cycling is life. Last year, at age 51, I biked across the USA. It's my passion.

[SteveK]

My newest hobby is woodworking. I'd quit my comfortable and stable I.T. job if I could get the same income from woodworking, but that's a bit unlikely. It's definitely something I'm considering turning into a money-maker, someday. My first project was to make some built-in bookshelves in my home office. I figure that the rather large investment in tools I made plus the materials cost is still less than what it would have cost to have a carpenter build them.

Besides that, volleyball and playing my drums are my other two fun activities. Plus, I'll resume golf one of these days.