Millennial Women, Your New Hobby May Be Hiding in Your Memories

If you’re a millennial woman on the hunt for a new hobby, I’m going to save you hours of overthinking and endless searching: start with your childhood.

And I don't want you to worry if your childhood wasn’t great or you don’t remember much of it. Think instead about the movies and TV shows you loved. What were the characters doing that you wish you could do it too? Maybe there was ice-skating in your favorite film or someone was painting, dancing, or building something.

That quiet little “I wish I could do that” feeling? That’s data. Pay attention to it and run after it.

For me, it has always been gaming. I’ve been a gamer since I was a kid and my love for it has never gone away, it simply evolved as time went on.

I’ll save the full story for another post (spoiler: monetizing a hobby is a topic we HAVE to discuss), but the short version is that gaming is still my favorite hobby despite the ups and downs within it.

The “all-in” trap, and why you shouldn’t feel bad about it...

Here’s something I learned about myself that might sound familiar: the moment I find a hobby I think I’ll love, I go completely all-in. I’m talking about buying every single accessory for the hobby then two weeks later I’m completely over it.

It happened with diamond painting. I bought so much for it after a few days of doing it. The backlight stand, gem holders, pens with the attachments, extra putty, all of it. Fast forward and the diamond painting materials I was so excited about are just sitting there waiting for me. But I know I'll come back to them in about 6 months because I always do!

What I eventually realized about this vicious cycle is that part of my joy isn’t the actual hobby itself.

It’s the buying. The collecting. The curating and set up process.

This is something I see a lot of millennial women shame themselves for. I used to do this too, but eventually I decided to stop feeling bad about it and embrace it. That’s just how I experience excitement, and working with that instead of against it changed everything.

What this journey is actually teaching you about yourself...

Finding a new hobby you love doesn’t have to just be about the activity. You also get to learn more about who you are and what you do and don’t like during the process of trying new things.

Maybe you loved art as a kid but drawing by hand doesn’t appeal to you anymore. That doesn’t mean you’re not a creative person, it might just mean the medium changed.

I went from hand drawing to digital art to diamond painting to other creative outlets, and the through-line was always creativity. The form just kept changing and I embraced every new venture.

So if something you used to love doesn’t feel right anymore, ask yourself:

What was I actually getting from that? The answer will point you in a beautiful direction.

A few things worth remembering as you explore:

• Don’t buy everything before you’ve actually tried it for awhile. Find the free or cheap versions first. Borrow, rent, or try a beginner kit. Give yourself the chance to find out if you actually like the doing of it before you invest.

• Stay open-minded within the hobbies you already have. Some of my favorite games are ones I was convinced I’d hate. Skyrim was gifted to me and I assumed I wouldn't like it. It ended up opening me up to an entirely new genre I would have completely missed if I stayed stubborn. The thing you think you’ll hate might be the thing that surprises you most.

• See this as an adventure, not an assignment. You’re not failing anytime you strike out on a hobby, you’re exploring. There’s a real difference between those two things, and your mindset going in will shape the whole experience.

  
  

Remember, you’re going to figure out what’s yours. It might take a few false starts and a couple of unopened craft kits but that’s all part of the game.

TLDR: The goal isn’t to find the perfect new hobby on the first try, it’s to enjoy the search!

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