Freelancing Makes it More Difficult to Have Hobbies

Freelancing makes it more difficult to have hobbies. 

Yesterday, I wrote about how freelancing gives you a better view of time and money. It’s precisely this better view of time that makes hobbies so difficult to maintain for freelancers. 

Since freelancing is inherently creative, many people find their creative ambitions used up by the time the work day is done. When I started freelancing, the creative problem-solving I had to employ to do virtually every part of my job was immense. When I finished work, the last thing I had any capacity left to do was write music. I just wanted to relax, and watch Netflix. 

Additionally, it’s really difficult for freelancers to justify spending time on their hobbies when they’re optimizing all their other work hours. If an hour spent playing the piano could be an hour spent designing for a client, or finding new business, it’s difficult to play the piano anyway. 

Two things have helped me bring hobbies back into my life. First, I learned that the right hobbies can increase productivity, by allowing the mind to achieve a flow state, giving it a break from all its other concerns. Second, scheduling my hobbies outside of normal work hours helps me enjoy them more fully and more regularly. Now, I make music with my friends late on Friday nights, when I wouldn’t be working anyway. I write early in the morning, before anyone asks me to work for them. 

Good luck out there!