Consider your budget
Consider your time
Consider your personality
Consider your tastes
Consider your childhood
Take it outside
Consider your skillset
Look for a challenge
List your interests
Choose a buddy
Find a community
Start slow
Be patient
Don't force it
Start today!

Consider your budget

When it comes to choosing a hobby, there are a number of practical matters to take into consideration. The first is the budget: what can you realistically afford?

Thankfully, there are much cheaper options, which means there is something for everyone. A hobby like knitting, for example, only requires very basic, inexpensive supplies.

Consider your time

If you have lots of time on your hands you might want to explore something more time-consuming, like making bread. Time-poor people might prefer a quick fix, like crossword puzzles.

Consider your personality

Thankfully there are plenty of options for both sociable and less sociable people. Give some thought to this and choose something that suits your needs.

Consider your tastes

Give some thought to what makes you feel excited. Have you ever fantasized about being an awesome guitarist? If so, you might consider taking up guitar lessons.

Consider your childhood

As a youngster, did you enjoy, for example, ice skating or taking piano lessons? The vast majority of hobbies enjoyed by children can also be taken up by adults.

Take it outside

A good way to get inspiration is to take your quest for a hobby outside the house. Why not take some time to walk around a craft store or a park?

You may well find that you spot some materials in the store that inspire you to take up a craft, or see someone doing a sport in the park that piques your interest.

Consider your skillset

For example, if you already know your way around a kitchen and enjoy cooking, you might think about exploring a new cuisine or taking up a cooking class.

Look for a challenge

If you are typically not a very active person, why not take up a physical activity that will push you out of your comfort zone, such as rock climbing or surfing?

List your interests

For example, if you make your list and it includes things like music, poetry, and writing, you might consider taking up a songwriting class.

Choose a buddy

If you do opt for the buddy system, be sure to choose someone with similar interests to you. People with polar opposite interests are unlikely to stick with the same hobby.

Find a community

If you are time poor or prefer more solitary hobbies, there are always online communities you can look to for support.

Start slow

Try instead to start with small steps. For example, if you want to take up sketching, start by sketching for five or 10 minutes per day and gradually increasing the time spent.

Be patient

By being patient and reminding yourself why it is important to you that you build that skill set, you will be more likely to maintain the motivation needed to keep going.

Don't force it

It is perfectly acceptable to give something a good go, decide it’s not for you, and move on to something else. You can’t know before you try, after all.