Is it possible to have too many hobbies or interests? I think it is, you just don't hear that much about it. Or possibly, people aren't nearly as neurotic as I am. As I am in a perpetual state of organization and removal of excess, I recently began to notice that I have acquired an excess of hobbies/interests.
CURRENT HOBBIES & INTERESTS
Brewing Beer
Collecting Designer Vinyl Toys
Reading/Audiobooks
Reading Comics/Graphic Novels
Computers/Technology
Home Theater/Audio
Electronics/Arduino
Video Games
Playing Guitar
Scaring People
I'm considering putting one of these hobbies on the chopping block.Let's explore each interest to see if I can make a decision. I'll rate each hobby using three criteria, on a 1 to 10 scale. 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest. An average will be calculated for each hobby. The hobby with the highest score will likely be dropped.
The criteria:
1) Cost
2)Time spent on hobby
3)Subjective level of enjoyment (Reverse scoring)
Brewing Beer: This is a hobby that I really enjoy. I've brewed a few different types of beer, and only had one batch not turn out perfectly. It requires a lot of space, but not much in the way of time. I would estimate that a 5 gallon batch of beer consumes about 6 hours of my time in total. This hobby has the potential to become increasingly expensive in the future too.
COST: 5 (Potential 10)
TIME: 3
ENJOYMENT: 9 (Reverse score = 2)
AVERAGE: 3.33 (Potential 5)
Collecting Designer Vinyl Toys: An increasingly expensive hobby. I'm dropping $10 on a single vinyl toy. Then it just sorta sits there and collects dust. I really enjoy the thrill of opening a blind box, supporting artists, and supporting small businesses. However, I'm starting to think that the money I spend could be better used elsewhere.
COST: 7
TIME: 2
ENJOYMENT: 6 (Reverse score = 5)
AVERAGE: 4.66
Reading/Audiobooks: I listen to audiobooks nearly everday. It's part of my morning commute. They don't cost me a dime, they make better use of my driving time, and I get to learn/hear a story in the process.
COST: 1
TIME: 5
ENJOYMENT: 10 (Reverse score = 1)
AVERAGE: 2.33
Reading Comics/Graphic Novels: My most recent interest. Again, this is a hobby that costs me nothing financially, but costs me hours that could be spent doing something else. In addition to that, it's truly an exercise in escapism and making up for a less than happy childhood.
COST: 1
TIME: 5
ENJOYMENT: 10 (Reverse score = 1)
AVERAGE: 2.33
Computers/Technology: Probably one of my biggest nerd passions and easily one of my oldest interests. I've built a few computers for scratch, I love reading about new and emerging technology, and researching the best new gadgets to add to my collection. Unfortunately, I spend countless hours scouring Engadget, Gizmodo, Cnet, Amazon reviews, etc. Again, I could probably make better use of this time.
COST: 1 (Potential 10)
TIME: 9
ENJOYMENT: 7 (Reverse score = 4)
AVERAGE: 4.66 (Potential 7.66)
Home Theater/Audio: Again, this is similar to my interest in computers and technology, but focused on my home theater.
COST: 1 (Potential 10)
TIME: 7
ENJOYMENT: 7 (Reverse score = 6)
AVERAGE: 4.66 (Potential 7.66)
Electronics/Arduino: Here is a great example of an interest that never quite got off the ground. I have countless hours and dollars spent on this hobby, with very little to show for it. A part of me simply wants to finish an actual project and call it COMPLETE!
COST: 4
TIME: 5
ENJOYMENT: 3 (Reverse score = 8)
AVERAGE: 5.66
Video Games: The biggest time waster in the my life. I only play video games a few hours a month, but when I get wrapped into a new game, my entire day/evening is consumed with the game. I end up not paying any attention to my wife and I also skip out on home-related responsibilities. my only problem with giving up video games: I have so many incomplete games! I feel obligated to finish them...
COST: 1
TIME: 8
ENJOYMENT: 8 (Reverse score = 3)
AVERAGE: 4
Playing Guitar: My oldest interest. I've been "playing" the guitar since I was 14. I'm still terrible. I never took the interest seriously enough to stick with my lessons. I don't practice enough. I've been playing the same songs for years. I haven't written a new song in YEARS. Owning two guitars seems completely unnecessary. I've been considering selling my electric guitar for a while now...
COST: 1
TIME: 2
ENJOYMENT: 5 (Reverse score = 6)
AVERAGE: 3
Scaring People: You better believe that I'll never give this up.
COST: 1
TIME: 1
ENJOYMENT: 10 (Reverse score = 1)
AVERAGE: 0.33
With the results calculated, there are some obvious hobbies that should be dropped.
1) Electronics/Arduino. This hobby has the highest average score, meaning it's the most expensive, biggest waste of time, with the least amount of enjoyment. I've decided to finish a single Arduino project to make the initial investment worth while, and then sell the leftovers.
2) Designer toys, Computers/Technology, and Home Theater/Audio all tied for second place. I've decided to limit myself to 1 or 2 vinyl toys a year, only buying the figures I really want. I'm also going to try to limit my time researching gadgets that I will never buy.
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