What's the longest you've been in a hobby?

[Aron]

So I've been doing this thing for 2 years, practised a lot, got better and better, I became a bit above average I'd say. There were people who even said I should go to competitions, but I never did, I never thought that I would have a chance, and I didn't want to end up as a back marker. Then as time passed my progress slowed down, and I realized that I will never get as good as I'd want, it did not bring so much joy as it used to be.

So I kinda switched to another hobby. Closely related, but I still had to start from the beginning. I was happy again, practising, progressing, more practising. 2 years later, here I am, kinda bored again, not seeing much progress.

I thought it would be so awesome to be doing something for 10 years or so, becoming pretty good at it, whatever that thing would be. But it seems, I just lose interest at some point, when the progress curve flattens out or something, I don't know. Even during these 2 year periods I had some up and downs, questioning if there's even a point doing this.

Does anyone else have similar experiences? Maybe even someone who has been doing their thing for quite a few years, and has dealt with such problems?

 

[Pacific_Loner]

I know what you're talking about. In fact I think it's normal. The thing is, for most hobbies I've been practicing and getting good at, after 2 years, you come to a point where if you want to progress you need to do a significative extra effort of training, practising or researching to be able to go to the next level, or else you just stay where you are. I've been on and off a couple of hobbies since ten years, and like you, when I reach the point where I don't progress anymore, I tend to give up (most of the time after 6 months to 2 years), but when I decided to put the effort needed to get to the other level, it always worked and gave me a a new source of motivation.

That being said, there is nothing wrong with changing hobbies when you get bored, too.

 

[montejocarlo]

2 weeks. animation. i easily get tired and sidetracked. that's why i don't have any real "talent" to brag about. i have no expertise at anything

 

[knowledgeofself]

I have dabbled with stuff that I enjoy for about 10+ years but I don't engage in the hobby every day, at times when my interest is peaked and I feel inspired and motivated I might do it several times in a week. but I have periods of no activity or lost interest and done nothing for months and months. over the last 2 or 3 years I have taken a break from it for both financial reasons and due to some disappointments in the past but I have felt like i've wanted to get back into it a few times.

 

[Section_31]

I was in airsoft for almost 4 yrs before suddenly my anxiety got into that aspect of my life and i havnt been able to go back since -.-. I miss it, but every time i try to gear up im terrified.

Soooo i stick with computer games now. im a chairsofter.

 

[mikebird]

I haven't got a clue what you're talking about.

Do you mean the longest you been in the lobby? Wanna meet?

I could tell you about... 28 hobbies I have, since birth, and will keep up until death. A description in one single word is not enough. About 50 words in a paragraph per hobby

Airfix?

Building remote control cars to race with others. Ultimate social club. Joy to Tamiya & Kyosho. I want to get a son, or even a daughter into it.

1980s computer games. Then mountain bike. Then, 10 years later, a pair of Technics SL1200 mkII turntables, to please a crowd

 

[Hellhound]

Over 20 years.

 

[TailsAlone]

I've been writing for fun for 21 years--since I knew how, basically.

 

[Gaucho]

hi. i know what you mean.

i always since i remember loved football, and at 7 years joined a football club(and played in one until 17, changing clubs). i was quite talented( what i got told over the years) and played football every time of the day. my day routine from 11 years to 15 years was something like this: i arrived from school at 14:00, my mother made something good to eat. I rested and every single evening at 4 o'clock i went to the football field until 9 or 10 in the night. people always asked me jokingly if i lived there.
i always wanted to be the best in this one thing, i didn't care about the rest of my life, only there i had to be the best, in football.
then i got older and slowly i turned miserably embarrassing bad. because of many (muscle)injuries, lung problems(though i don't smoke) an ofcourse SA and all that crap, i also had lost the desire because of all that. my last year(s), every saturday i embarrassed myself playing on the pitch, was like a old useless man.
everyone from my hometown knows me as "the kid who loves football". many called me "the boy with the ball" haha really. I got quite often told that maybe i could of got professional, or amateur(they also win some money and better than a normal job).

writing all this down makes me remember the past and how i many times felt happiness. nowadays i go always play alone in the evenings.
sorry for the long boring rant.

 

[MikeyC]

I thought it would be so awesome to be doing something for 10 years or so, becoming pretty good at it, whatever that thing would be. But it seems, I just lose interest at some point, when the progress curve flattens out or something, I don't know. Even during these 2 year periods I had some up and downs, questioning if there's even a point doing this.

I've been playing the drums for 12 years and I know exactly what this is all about.

There have been many times in the 12 years of playing where I have considered quitting. I listen to some of my favourite bands, even today, where I know I will never be that good at drumming, and it does upset me, because I don't seem to have the natural talent. But I continue. I know I'm okay at them these days and I still enjoy it.

Every hobbyist experiences ups, downs, ebbs, flows, gains and losses of confidence, motivation, drive. It's normal. The point is to keep the hobby interesting for you, as well.

 

[Aron]

I've been playing the drums for 12 years and I know exactly what this is all about.

There have been many times in the 12 years of playing where I have considered quitting. I listen to some of my favourite bands, even today, where I know I will never be that good at drumming, and it does upset me, because I don't seem to have the natural talent. But I continue. I know I'm okay at them these days and I still enjoy it.

Every hobbyist experiences ups, downs, ebbs, flows, gains and losses of confidence, motivation, drive. It's normal. The point is to keep the hobby interesting for you, as well.

It was your comment in the other thread that started me thinking about starting this thread, you know.

Exactly, I know I don't have the natural talent to be on par with those on top no matter how much I practice, yet I'm better than the average Joe, and they keep telling me that how good I'm at it, and I keep telling them that I'm nowhere near good. I guess I have a problem with accepting my place, accepting that I'm not the best, not perfect, and I guess this is mainly coming from SA.

Yes, keeping it interesting is an important point. But what if making progress is what keeps me interested, as it seems to be the case?

How did you keep it interesting your hobby to yourself? This question is for everyone, not just for MikeyC.

 

[MikeyC]

It was your comment in the other thread that started me thinking about starting this thread, you know.

Exactly, I know I don't have the natural talent to be on par with those on top no matter how much I practice, yet I'm better than the average Joe, and they keep telling me that how good I'm at it, and I keep telling them that I'm nowhere near good. I guess I have a problem with accepting my place, accepting that I'm not the best, not perfect, and I guess this is mainly coming from SA.

Yes, keeping it interesting is an important point. But what if making progress is what keeps me interested, as it seems to be the case?

How did you keep it interesting your hobby to yourself? This question is for everyone, not just for MikeyC.

Accepting that you're not the best is, unfortunately, a part of life. It doesn't matter how good we can get, there's always going to be someone better out there. I know what I want to achieve with the drums, and I'm not there yet, but I hope to get there in time.

Progress is sometimes hard to quantify. It may not seem like you're getting better, but you actually are. I have had that problem myself, where it doesn't feel like I'm getting better, but I really am.

To keep it interesting, I sometimes try to make it relaxed. Not to get on the drums and try to achieve everything. Just get on and play whatever comes to my head. Trying to learn a song I like can help, too, although some of the death metal I listen to is hard to replicate. :: Buying new drum equipment makes it good, too.

 

[mikebird]

I made a huge mistake in my reply!!

By far, outstandingly, after all the loves and the best parts of all my entire life, I failed to put my most important hobby, as definitely the largest percentage I've spent all my life doing:

online, finding my next occupation, 24/7 every minute of every day, week, month and year, jobhunting

Relentless determination , ploughing my deep furrow of hopeless rejection into my grave