When Hobbies Become Overwhelming

Looking over my to watch, to play, and to read lists I am feeling completely overwhelmed.  Not to mention the list of cross stitch projects. Or the time I need to work on my programming and electronics skills so I can take on a Raspberry Pi project at some point this year. And writing here. And derby practice. And any other hobbies I pick up. And you know, life.

I have long had an addiction to information, which is how these lists got so long. I’d spend hours in the library growing up reading everything I could get my hands on about whatever topic caught my interest at the time. In the age of the internet, that kind of personality becomes a burden. There is so much to know, available with a few keystrokes. The internet has also introduced me to so many highly intelligent people. So I am more aware of what is out there, which means more keystrokes. Every time my brain gets new and novel information, I get a bit of a rush. It is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because if I find something particularly interesting, I can become quite good at it. It’s a curse because I rarely stay with something long enough for that to happen.

The question is, and has always been, how do I take this personality quirk and turn it to my advantage. How can I actually get through these lists and projects without driving myself mad?

I’ve found the first thing I have to tell myself is that it’s OK if all of these things don’t get done right away, or even quickly. The game, book, and show/movie lists are all things I want to do. They should be something fun and relaxing. They’re not something I should feel pressured to do. It’s OK if I want to play the same game a few times before I move on to the next one. In fact, I’m sure my finances would prefer that. I should try to not devote my time to all one thing, just so I don’t get burned out. But if it happens, that’s OK to.

The projects however, need to have time set aside for them. They are a lot more work, and a lot harder to get started on. Not because I don’t want to do them, but because they’re so large and take more effort. Take my cross stitch projects for example. Gathering thread, scissors, fabric, patterns, and needles takes a lot more effort than picking up a controller and turning on the TV. Or picking up a book.  The rewards are also greater. “Look at what I made!” over “Look at what I consumed!”

It seems simple when written down: prioritize what you want to work on and set aside time to do it. The trick will be to avoid the lists that scream “undone” and just enjoy what I’m doing for that particular moment.