How to Find a New Hobby (Explore Your Interests & Start Something New)

Finding a new hobby is a deeply personal and exciting journey. Go slow, don’t be too hard on yourself and enjoy the process.

The following 10 steps will guide you on your way to a new hobby!

1. Indulge Your Childhood Interests

rubik's cube, start a new hobby
photo: Juan Pablo Serrano Arenas

Think back on your childhood and the hobbies that you used to enjoy.

Your childhood interests are a great place to start when exploring interests and brainstorming activities to start a new hobby.

Are your childhood hobbies still relevant to your current interests?

Could they be adapted in any way to be enjoyed in adulthood?

2. Take an Assessment

take a class to discover a new hobby

Hobbies differ from person to person. The most fun hobby in the world may seem mundane and boring to someone else.

Taking an assessment or personality quiz is a great way to see where your interest lie and what hobbies may be perfect for your personality.

Check out this handy online Enneagram Quiz to get a better understanding of your personality type. You may be surprised at what you find!

3. Start Trying Things…Dabble!

start a new hobby, dart board
photo: Kevin Malik

Don’t be afraid to try new things!

Finding a new hobby is like throwing darts. You have to try and try again before you hit the bullseye. Very few people get it right the first time.

Experiment, get out there, dabble!

If friends ask you to go out bowling, give it a shot. If there is a cultural festival in town, check it out!

Keeping an open mind and state of curiosity will serve you well on your quest for a new hobby.

4. List the Things You’d Like to Accomplish in Life…

list the things you would like to accomplish in life, close up of woman journaling
photo: Liza Summer

What are some things that you have always wanted to do?

Sit down and take 30 minutes to write a list of things you would like to accomplish in life.

Is there a theme?

What hobbies or activities could lead you in the direction of your goals and dreams?

This is a great place to start to discover your new hobby.

5. Look About You…

look around you, close up view of city binoculars
photo: Caleb Oquendo

What are other people doing?

What kind of things peak your interest in the shopping mall?

What are your friends doing that seem interesting?

Take notes throughout the day of anything that piques your interest. What grabs your attention throughout the day. Could anything that you’ve noted be a hobby of some sort?

6. Take a Class, Try Something New…

woman in wheelchair on laptop computer taking personality quiz to discover a new hobby

Check out your local community center, or MeetUp.com and see what classes and groups are offered.

Try something random with low commitment and see if you like it. This is a great way to dip your toes into the depths of a new hobby with low commitment.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with new activities and hobbies. Assume you’ll be bad at whatever it is and just have fun! Check out our article on Learning Hobbies Online (Best Platforms to Learn Skills Online) for a great place to get started.

Check out a few FREE classes available from Skillshare here to get started with something random and new!

7. Take Inventory of Your Interests

find a new hobby by considering your interests, man lying in field looking at sky
photo: Andrea Piacquadio

Considering your current interests is a great place to start when considering a new hobby.

Some questions to consider asking yourself include:

  • What do you think about when you day dream?
  • What are the last 5 books you read?
  • What podcasts do you listen to?
  • What do you get excited to talk about with friends and family?
  • What are your top recommended videos on youtube?

Your answers to the above questions will give you deep insight into your current interests before diving deeper into something as a new hobby.

8. Consider Your Everyday Activities

consider your everyday activities to start a new hobby, mother and daughter cooking hobby
photo: Daria Obymaha

Considering something a hobby has more to do with your mindset and how you approach it.

You may already have hobbies, and you just don’t think of them as such…

Maybe cooking dinner each night, could be viewed as a fun activity that you enjoy and experiment with rather being viewed as a chore.

Take things that you already enjoy and treat them like hobbies.

9. Try Something You Assume You Would Be Bad At…

woman dancing for tiktok, discover a new hobby by trying new things
photo: MART PRODUCTION

You may not know yourself as well as you think.

Trying something out of your comfort zone, or preconceived perception of yourself you may find something you really enjoy.

When trying something that you think you are bad at or won’t enjoy, there is no pressure to excel or enjoy the activity. This may prove to be a benefit as your expectations for enjoyment have been set very low!

Maybe you’ve always said you hate dancing. Try taking a square dancing class!

10. What Were You Doing the Last Time You Lost Track of Time?

find a new hobby, music production flow, blurred image of guy djing and producing music
photo: Zulian Yuliansyah

Flow state is a powerful mental state where we become fully engrossed in what we are doing. You become so focused on the task you are doing that you lose track of time.

Think back on the last time you were so immersed in an activity that you lost track of time.

It is likely that this is an activity of great interest to you, and could be worth pursuing further as a dedicated hobby!

Finding a new hobby takes time and commitment. Learn to enjoy the journey and lessons along the way. Check out our Huge List of Hobbies from A to Z for more hobby ideas!

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