Do you have a dream that you haven’t been able to realise for several years and kept postponing it until better times? Let’s discuss how to get into doing what your dream is about and start enjoying what you are passionate about.
During my life I have had several passions “hidden” from myself which seemed unreachable to me. I had no time, not enough money to start doing them or people around me didn’t share my passions so I didn’t know who I could do what I love with. Does it remind you of something?
I think most of my friends have the same issues, they have been postponing their passions. One of my friends really was passionate about ice hockey but nobody among his friends or colleagues loved the game. Official clubs were expensive for him so he wasn’t able to play this game even occasionally. Finally, he found his team of mates, so now he plays hockey regularly.
Another friend of mine wanted to play tennis but he had a stereotype that this game requires so big investment of money and time that his interest waned. Now he plays several times a week.
One more friend was crazy about mountain biking. He had been dreaming about it since his childhood, but thought it’s too dangerous and too expensive to practice. In the end he found that actually it’s possible to learn safely and practice this sport without too much money investment.
So, here are the tips on how to start the activity that seems to be unreachable:
Tip #1 Find a friendly guide
Actually, this tip works for almost all activities. Find a passionate and friendly person who can explain to you most of the basics of beloved activity. Someone who is ready to share with you all the emotions of the selected hobby. No matter tennis, mountain bikes, kites, mountain climbing, windsurfing, basketball, singing, playing instruments, dancing, drawing, writing, reading, gaming, collecting stamps, meditations, etc. The list of activities can be endless…Good guide supports you and shows you how to start without too many trials and falls. So, just look around, there may be someone at your side who is ready to share your beloved activity with you.
Tip #2 Forget stereotypes and just try new activity
Funny, but do you remember the words “It’s all in your head” from “Feel Good Inc” song by Gorillaz? Yes, sometimes all we know about our new hobby are stereotypes.
- Horse riding is only for rich people, so I can’t afford it! - Well, nope.
- Tennis requires long years of practice before you start playing for real, and besides, it is expensive! - Well, again not at all.
- Drawing is only for artistic people and I need years to start drawing well! - Not really.
- Mountain biking is for crazy and risky people! - Hmm, but what if I say that some regular nerds do mountain biking and all their legs and bones are safe!
And these are just a few examples of cliches… My main idea is “If you are interested in something, don’t hesitate, forget stereotypes, just try it and do it. Find an opportunity to start”. It’s always better to act than procrastinate and think: “Ok, I have just missed it in my life.” If you give it a try, then, you will feel what your new activity is about.
A lot of public organisations provide free try hours or guided beginner classes, so you can start in most cases from little time and money investments.
Tip #3 Find a new hobby company or activity in Gravity
If you don’t have a hobby-mate or you don’t know a club nearby, you can use Gravity for search. Gravity is a social search engine that helps you to find a new activity nearby or someone who is interested in the same specific activity. Just type your search request in and see which activities or people with the same interest are available now. Maybe some tennis or Sup surfing club nearby have open hours this week where you can try new activity? Or maybe someone nearby would like to share time with specific activities like skateboarding or playing chess? Try and discover!
Of course, this list is far from being full, but there are some basics from which you can probably start. Think over your old passions or new ones, make your choice and analyse what actually keeps you from starting. And if you feel now that our tips have helped you to understand how to get into your hobby, then it means that we have done a good job by writing this short post.