Do you have the remnants of an unfinished project(s) laying around your house? Perhaps the evidence of a hobby project started but then neglected, and now you find yourself saying, “I need to finish that?”
If your schedule is routinely overbooked, chances are you also have overbooked yourself at leisure: you have too many hobbies.
I recently faced this conclusion when I went to clean out our guest room for some impending guests, only to be confronted by half-finished projects and stashes of materials for projects I intended to get to. It was time to be brutally honest, and let go.
When Should I Let Go Of A Hobby?
Letting go of a hobby doesn’t mean you’re giving it up for life. The fact that you can pick it up again in the future is important to realize that as you take stock of what is going on. Ask yourself the following questions:
When was the last time I completed a project in this hobby? If you have done nothing with your hobby in years, chances are it is time to let it go. I routinely planted a vegetable garden for 15 years, just to harvest next to nothing. This was a sign it was time to give up.
Why is the project unfinished? If you have had a project outstanding for months or years, are you ever going to finish it? Why not? I had a beautiful cross stitch that I had been working on, but laid it aside for years because each stitch was created by three different colors, the fabric was impossibly tiny, and it was no longer a pleasure to work on the project.
Do I enjoy the hobby? A friend of mine detested knitting, but kept doing it because she believed everyone expected baby blankets from her. She gave up knitting and now enjoys her hobby of gardening much more.
How To Quit A Hobby
Once you have decided to let it go, it is important to actually let it go physically and mentally. Here is how:
Give yourself permission to stop projects. Don’t stick with a hobby just because you have an unfinished project. If you have no desire to work on the project, get rid of it. I recently threw out another cross stitch and an unfinished quilt (which has been living in my mind as “the d*mn quilt” for years)
Give yourself permission to let go of the money invested. Hobbies require an outlay of money. Don’t hang on to a hobby you will never take up again just because you invested in the supplies. Count the money as an expense toward an experience that has passed. Bonus points if you can give the supplies to someone who will use them!
Inventory what you have. Know what you have. When my husband was home brewing, he had bits and pieces everywhere. He got a list together of the supplies on hand, and it was easier to know what needed to go.
Reuse supplies. Sometimes supplies can be applied in other areas? Perhaps the ribbon won’t go for what it was originally intended for, but maybe it could be used as gift ribbon? Maybe the embroidery floss can be used for friendship bracelets for your kids?
Donate supplies. When I let go of all the crocheting and knitting yarn (not purchased for a specific project) I had stashed, I donated it to my daughter’s school. They loved the yarn for various projects. Most schools and daycare centers are open to donations of supplies.
When you have given up the clutter of hobbies that are no longer serving your purpose, you might be surprised to find your enthusiasm and energy bounding up. Take advantage of that and move forward!
