what does a hobby actually look like?

Long time no see! It's been over two months since my last entry, which has admittedly made me uneasy at times. I tend to compare myself to other people a lot, so whenever I thought about this blog and the fact I wasn't writing, I thought about just ditching it and adding it to the pile of abandoned projects I have laying around.

But I decided against it. Now, coming back has been no easy feat, believe me. I tend to think, for some reason, people will be mad at me for... writing a new entry. On my own blog. Regardless of how much time has passed since the last one, it sounds ridiculous when you say it out loud (or write it, in this case).

What I've realized recently is that my problem was not only comparing myself to others, but also not knowing what "writing a blog" looked like for me. When I started this blog I did it out of nostalgia and a sudden, unexpected reminder of it. It was January 2nd, the world was fresh with the new year and the crisp winter, and I was determined to make a habit out of it. Meaning, I wanted to force myself to write every day, or, at least, every week. Key word being force.

If you read my post about my 2026 reading list, you'll know I intended to do the same with my journaling. Spoiler alert – it didn't work either! Yes, I did keep up with it at first. But then life came crashing in! And the first thing you drop when things get hard is, of course, what you don't think is essential. I didn't think of journaling as a core part of my day – in fact, I thought about it as a chore. It was something I did at the end of the day because everybody else seemed to sing its praises. Journaling is sold as being life-changing, and while I do admit I had a good time while reviewing my (not many) entries for 2025 when New Year's Eve came around, I didn't find enlightenment or any particular enjoyment in the act of daily journaling itself.

Just today, while cooking (something I've realised does bring a lot of joy into my life, actually), I was watching Matt D'Avella's video on why trying to constantly optimise your life is pretty much pointless.

 

  

 

 

The point he makes is basically that we're so busy trying to cram everything we're told is good or necessary into our lives that we forget what is actually important to us. And that to make room for that, you'll have to say no not only to things you don't want to do (that seems hard at first but becomes the easy part later), but also to things you want to do, simply because no matter how enjoyable they are (or were), you'll realise they're not a priority anymore when more important stuff comes into your life. In his case, two children under the age of 5. In my case, coming back to my hobbies.

 

The plan is simple: I have to stop working, or thinking about working, all the time, and make room in my life for those things that bring joy into it. My hobbies! Those things I started neglecting when I got into university due to a complete and utter lack of good time management (aside from planning my day to the minute in order to fit as much working into it as possible) and, later, the sense that I was only worthy as long as I was productive.

 

No more! We're going back to our old selves, trying to find that sense of whimsy in the little things we used to enjoy. Hobbies.

 

but what are hobbies?