“Someday” is Today, With Your Soul-Enriching Weekend Project

What’s the thing you would do if you “had the time”? So often, our wishes and dreams and even just our simple wants get pushed aside by the demands of everyday life. I do believe that there’s joy and gratefulness to be found in the seemingly thankless diurnal tasks, but many of us aren’t tapping into the well of enrichment that can be found in regularly doing something that serves no other purpose than making us happy.

This weekend, we’re going to rekindle a long-lost hobby or start a new one. We’re going to seize the seize the day by grasping the “someday…” and pulling it into the present.

Apartment Therapy Weekend Projects is a guided program designed to help you get the happy, healthy home you’ve always wanted, one weekend at a time. Sign up now for email updates so you never miss a lesson.

Hobbies aren’t frivolous. Refilling our cup of joy isn’t a waste of time; it affects everything else in our personal world. Engaging in a hobby benefits our mental and physical health, improves job performance, and more.

Here are some ways to make a hobby a part of your life again:

Maybe it’s something you’ve never done before and maybe it’s something you used to do that got shuffled out of your life.

• Think of something you used to do that you enjoyed that you haven’t done in maybe decades. For me, this is watercolor painting.
• Think of something that you’ve always wanted to try. Pottery, perhaps? Learning photography?
• Is there a hobby-related project you’ve started that nags at you because you never finished it? A blanket you began crocheting or a thrifted piece of furniture you began refinishing? If it’s something you’d like to get back into, this project may be a good place to start.

When you invest thought, money or time toward your hobby, you’re giving yourself that extra push to follow through.

• Look for a local meet-up of like-minded people. Maybe it’s a knitting club or a rock climbing group. Sign up to join or put the time of the next meeting on your calendar. Commit.
• Sign up for a class. There are many classes offered online, so you don’t even have to leave home to get some instruction on photography, drawing, or painting, for instance. Try to find a reputable class that provides some structure rather than just, say, poking around for free videos on YouTube.
• Purchase some supplies. When you have what you need, you don’t have that mental hurdle or excuse of needing to go out and buy stuff before you even start. Buy the canvas, the wood varnish, the gardening gloves, whatever it is, to get your hobby ball rolling.
• Clear a space. Think through an ideal spot in your home to pursue your creative interest. Even if you don’t have an actual space you can dedicate to your hobby, you can put all your supplies in a basket or bin in a cabinet and visualize where and when you’ll pull it out to work on it. This eliminates another mental hurdle.

Treat your hobby with the dignity it deserves. Make time for it, just like you would an appointment, and put it on your calendar.

What hobby will you prepare for?

You can catch up with weekend projects right here. Share your progress with us and others by posting updates and photos on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #atweekendproject.

Remember: This is about improvement, not perfection. Each week you can either choose to work on the assignment we’ve sent you, or tackle another project you’ve been meaning to get to. It’s also completely okay to skip a weekend if you’re busy or not feeling the assignment.