Do you ever struggle to find the time to enjoy both work and hobbies? As if there’s not enough time in the day, or the week, to make the most of both? It can be particularly challenging when these two subjects tend to cross over, especially when it comes to my passion for writing!
Defining the difference between work and hobbies
When it comes to writing, I view it to be a largely important part of my life. Both writing for a living, and writing for fun. So how do you define the difference, when in essence they are the same thing? How do you stop them from crossing over, and taking the fun from it altogether?
When I try to define writing for a living, and writing for fun, some people confuse and group the two together. In talking about this hobby, I’ve had a few questioning glances, as if to say, what hobbies? I can understand why. It’s true that over the years, I’ve tried my hand at different hobbies and activities, with nothing much sticking. Nothing but writing!
Of course, in some industries there’s not much room to enjoy your job as a hobby as well. You wouldn’t see a doctor practicing medicine for fun…
But when it comes to writing, it offers so much more than what I just do for work. Naturally, there are many things I don’t get to explore or talk about at work, such as my own personal interests. Whilst I am additionally trying to navigate freelance journalism through building a platform off of my blog, it gives me a great opportunity to simply talk about the things that I want to talk about.
Can you enjoy both, separately?
How is the line blurred between work and hobbies? When you enjoy doing the same thing for fun as you do professionally, there certainly is a crossover. But I advocate that there is room to enjoy both!
However, it does heavily depend on how much you want to enjoy it. There becomes a point where if you want to enjoy both, you have to be dedicated to both. If you apply half the energy then you’re not going to see the entertainment in either.
So yes, you can enjoy both, and you can enjoy them from different perspectives. Writing as part of my career is insightful, rewarding, and provides me with real value. Particularly when working together with a team, and creating noteworthy content for clients. On the other hand, writing as a hobby allows me to explore my writing style in new ways. I can share what I want when I want, without relying on the structure and rules set out within a workplace.
I love writing my blog, even though my motivation hasn’t always stayed consistent for it. This is where the importance of balance comes into the equation.
Creating a balance of work and hobbies
The important thing about differentiating work and hobbies, is to find and create the balance. But how?
To be able to enjoy something, there has to be a sense of balance. When you tip the scales too far one way or the other, thats when it starts to become a challenge. It’s easy to highlight the need for a balance, but having to execute it is just a bit more difficult.
Creating a balance requires planning, dedication and consistency. As I have discovered first hand when it comes to enjoying writing as a hobby, and working on my blog, the enjoyment and passion isn’t enough alone. I can admit that many times I have tried to revamp my blog, finding new motivation to stick at it and then falling off the other side when I haven’t stuck to it, and being disappointed in myself as a result.
I have found that a plan is what works best for me. You might be thinking that a hobby shouldn’t require a plan, but it’s completely necessary if you want to be the best. After all, why aim for mediocracy? So taking the time to plan out each blog post, highlighting the keywords I want to focus on, what topic I want to talk about each week – this has all contributed to successfully posting once a week. In turn, I have found far more enjoyment from writing as a hobby, then I have done in the past.
This also helps to create balance with how much writing I do with my job. Dedicating a particular time to write and post once a week is especially useful when navigating the 39 hours a week I spend writing for a living. This is extremely important for creating the balance between work and hobbies, and to avoid burnout in the long run.
How to avoid burnout
Ultimately, spending my 9-5 doing one thing, and then enjoying my free time doing the same, is a tricky position to navigate. If taken too far, it can very easily lead to burnout, and leading to a hatred of the subject altogether.
Avoiding burnout starts in the early stages. It begins with recognising when it’s a chore, rather than something I enjoy.
Because I write for a living, there is not much room to negotiate when it comes to how much I write. Whilst there is always room for discussion about what my role entails, as I have been employed for writing, that’s what I’m going to be doing, for the most part. Now, I’m not at a stage where I don’t enjoy it anymore, but there is always the added risk with writing for a hobby, that it’ll all become too much.
Writing for a hobby is where it can start to lead to burnout. As mentioned earlier on, I have faced ups and downs when it comes to my motivation for writing this blog, and that can be seen as a sign of burnout. Recognising these signs and actively working around these is the most important part going forward. These involve taking the time to write a plan, setting time aside to write a new blog, and perhaps the most important, not putting too much pressure on myself to do so.
Although to enjoy both, you have to be dedicated to both, it’s also essential to remember that you can only take so much for so long. Even the most passionate writers take breaks – which are highly beneficial for getting a fresh perspective on your writing, and the best steps to take moving forward!
How do you find the balance between work and hobbies? Do you enjoy similar things, or are your hobbies wildly different to your work life?
