How Can a Hobby Help You at Work?

Work is an important part of most people’s lives. Of course, it’s a source of income that we use to pay for essentials like shelter, warmth, and food, as well as non-essentials like vacations. But work offers us much more than this. 

Abraham Maslow created the “hierarchy of needs” in a 1943 journal article. This theory outlines that work actually helps us build a sense of belonging, feel accomplished, and achieve our full potential (which he called “self-actualization”). 

He argued that this self-actualization comes from being creative, inventing new things, or becoming recognized in a particular field. 

To be able to reach this, we must be given the opportunities by our bosses, but we must also apply ourselves, develop our skills, and always be willing to learn. This doesn’t just mean in formal training courses and sessions either, there are learning opportunities everywhere, including in your hobbies. In fact, your hobbies can make a big difference to your work life. 

Improve Your Strategic Thinking

No matter whether you run your own business or work as a salaried employee, being able to think strategically will serve you well in your job. Formulating a marketing strategy, asking for a pay rise, and navigating office politics are all best done with some strategic planning. 

For some people, strategising comes naturally, but for others it’s a bit of an alien concept. Thankfully, having a hobby can help you refine your skills in this area. 

Many games require you to think strategically, including card games, board games, and modern video games. Poker is one of these because it combines several strategic elements together into a single game. Those that understand how to play poker well can instantly assess the value of their hand, calculate how it stands against other possible options that their opponents may have, and make strategic decisions on whether to fold, call or raise. 

Similarly, chess players need to think several steps ahead of their opponents so that they can anticipate the moves that they’ll make and counter them with moves of their own. Simultaneously, they must plot their own attacks by deploying advanced chess strategies.

Boost Your Creativity

Many jobs require us to problem solve. Things never go quite to plan, meaning we’re always thrown curveballs that require us to think on our feet and change our approach. Problem-solving like this is much easier when you can be creative. 

Hobbies like painting, writing, and drawing can help boost your creative powers. As can solving puzzles like jigsaws, crosswords, and Sudoku squares. 

While it may not be directly applicable to your work, the creative thinking you do in your hobby will make your problem-solving at work seem much easier. 

Networking

As much as we like to think of life as a meritocracy where only the most talented make it to the top, there are many other factors that can influence productivity and whether someone gets a promotion, lands a new job or secures a business deal. 

One of these factors is having connections. The old adage of “it’s not what you know, but who” is unfortunately still applicable today. And while we can lament that this isn’t entirely fair, there isn’t a lot we can do about it. 

Therefore, building your own personal network is going to be valuable as you’ll have contacts that can open doors for you when you need them to. 

Having a hobby that lets you meet new people can help you grow your network; even if the people you meet may not necessarily be able to help you right away, you never know when a scenario may arise. 

For example, say you meet an event planner while out playing golf. If your company later needs to throw a big party to celebrate an important anniversary, your contact could be invaluable. 

Having an interest that you share with others can also help you to bond with your co-workers. If you both enjoy playing Fortnite, then you’ll be able to spend time discussing the game together. Having these kinds of relationships at work can also help you progress your career and can make it easier to ask for favors when you need help.