Your 20s are the most pivotal decade of your life. Within these years, people usually go through the greatest number of life transitions, such as graduating from postsecondary education, finding a job, and moving out. It is also a period of growth, exploration, and identity change. What better way to grow and explore than by learning new activities!
It may seem like everyone already has at least one hobby they’ve hung on to since elementary school and that it’s ‘too late’ to try something new. But once you realize that you don’t have to excel at something for it to have a meaningful impact on your life, age ceases to be an issue. You just have to step out of your comfort zone a little bit. And who knows, it may become your next best skill!
The hobbies that I picked up myself recently are golfing and gardening. They both seemed like a fun way to spend my spare time. At first, I thought golf would be too difficult to learn, as most people in their 20s started way back when they were kids. I didn’t see anyone my age as a beginner. But after facing my fears and taking a lesson or two, I was having a lot of fun! Of course, I wasn’t great at it initially, but I kept practicing and now two years since I began, I keep improving, but most importantly, I’m enjoying it.
I was not as intimidated by gardening; it seemed like a relaxing and straightforward activity. I soon found out that there is in fact lots to learn: which plants grow well together, how to keep pests at bay, and whether or not plants need extra fertilizer. Once I did my research, it was smooth sailing for the most part. I am looking forward to welcoming some new plants to my little garden this spring.
Learning new skills can also make you more relatable: the more interests you have, the more likely you are to find other people who share one with you. This can open whole new doors to meaningful connections you would not have made otherwise. I now have a group of golf friends and I talk to my neighbors about the best tomato varieties to plant. Relatedly, having varying hobbies makes you a well-rounded individual. This has many benefits, such as being able to easily adapt to different environments, and having more opportunities in life.
The next time you catch yourself wishing you would have started learning a skill earlier, whether it be chess or playing the oboe, remember that virtually nothing is stopping you from pursuing it. You don’t have to go on to become a world-class professional, so take it lightly. It’s just a hobby: something you enjoy doing with your time. The more time you spend on it, the better you’ll become and the more rewarding it will be! If you’re thinking of trying something new but don’t know where to start, all you have to do is search up hobbies to pick up and you’ll find that there are hundreds of fun and unique ones waiting just for you!