10 Hobbies That Will Transform You into a More Successful Entrepreneur

 

Alyssa Gregory

 

There is a lot of harmony between hobbies and entrepreneurship. From one perspective, turning a hobby into a business is a very common way for aspiring entrepreneurs to dip their toes into business ownership by leveraging something they are already very passionate about. A common theme among entrepreneurs is that they have built on a hobby used it to launch their career as an entrepreneur.

 

From another perspective, just having a hobby – even when it is not directly related to your business – can make you a more successful entrepreneur. Many hobbies have the potential to provide benefits that can improve your level of success as an entrepreneur. These 10 hobbies are relatively cheap and easy to start.

 

Puzzles

 

There’s been much written lately about puzzles as tools for maintaining brain health. Crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles or even number games like Sudoku can you you a much-needed break from a stressful workday.

 

Crossword puzzles can preserve cognitive function, and jigsaw puzzles can enhance memory, build problem-solving skills and induce a state of focused meditation.

 

These making puzzles an excellent hobby for exercising your brain and keeping it in tip-top shape for all of the mental challenges you may face as an entrepreneur.

 

Gardening

 

Gardening is a hobby that not only gives you hands-on experience in a valuable real-life skill, but it has also been shown to reduce stress, improve mental health and provide a low-impact form of exercise.

 

In fact, one study found that gardening can fight stress, improve your mood and increase positive emotions.

 

It is hard to ignore the perfectly tangible benefit of gardening – producing healthy and homegrown fruits and vegetables that can improve your level of nutrition.

 

Musical Instruments

 

Studies have shown that there is direct evidence that learning how to play a musical instrument has a positive biological effect on children’s developing nervous systems. Playing an instrument can improve the academic performance of children while encouraging them to actively engage in their studies.

 

The better news is that these – and more – musical instrument benefits apply to adults, too. If you want to improve your cognitive function, boost memory, become more coordinated, relieve stress and become better at managing your time, pick up an instrument and make it your mission to learn how to play.

 

Video Games

 

Playing video games provides a lot of the same benefits as puzzles as far as problem-solving (in the right games). But gaming can also help improve your hand-eye coordination and fine-tune your strategy skills while letting you have fun at the same time.

 

If you play video games online and connect with other players remotely, you also get the benefit of being able to socialize. This can be beneficial for solo entrepreneurs who generally work alone without a lot of opportunity for face-to-face interaction.

 

In reasonable doses, video gaming can be a great hobby, giving you a solid argument for grabbing the controller when you’re looking for downtime after work.

 

Fishing

 

If you are looking for a hobby that can improve dexterity and reflexes, give your brain a break and provide some light exercise for your upper body, give fishing a try.

 

And, of course, we can’t ignore the benefits that come from a change in scenery that allows you to get outside, take in nature and breathe in the fresh air.

 

Fishing is also an excellent way to practice patience, learn perseverance, and decrease your dependence on technology.

 

Cycling

 

The most physical hobby on our list, cycling can make you fitter, happier and more productive. A cycling hobby can also improve your heart function, boost brain power and improve your overall health.

 

Since cycling is a cardiovascular activity, it allows your body to release adrenaline and endorphins. This surge of endorphins can make you more alert and leave you feeling better, if just a bit more tired.

 

Keep in mind that you don’t have to cycle like a pro to get the benefits from this hobby; you can take advantage of these physical perks by cycling for even 30 minutes a few times a week.

 

Yoga

 

There are many benefits of practicing yoga, including flexibility, pain management, muscle strength and flexibility, and can improve posture and breathing. Yoga is also known as a great way to reduce stress and improve the quality of your sleep the more you practice it.

 

People who practice yoga on a regular basis claim that it increases inner strength (the will to continue), which is beneficial for entrepreneurs who will face adversity over time.

 

Painting

 

Creativity and innovation are powerful traits in business. It has been found that creativity and innovation are linked. This should come as no surprise to most people.

 

If you want to foster your own innovative creativity, the best way to do it is to start working on a creative hobby, such as painting. The art of painting also has many of the benefits of some of the other hobbies listed here, including inducing relaxation, improving focus and concentration and improving mental health.

 

Creative people are more likely to build emotional intelligence, as creativity is thought to be linked to emotional intelligence (EI). EI is becoming a desired trait in most business leadership because people with higher EI generally treat others much better than those without.

 

Cooking

 

Aside from the more obvious benefit that cooking provides, as a creative activity cooking can be tied to generating feelings of control and improving mood, in a way that is similar to meditation. If you are cooking for – and with – your family, this hobby can also provide added time for a connection to loved ones and a clear disconnection from work.

 

Cooking can boost your levels of creativity and sense of adventure, especially if you like to depart from a written recipe and try some dinner inventions of your own.

 

Reading

 

You probably do quite a bit of reading already as an entrepreneur, but if you choose to pick up a book after work – especially literary fiction – you are receiving multiple benefits.

 

Your vocabulary with most likely improve by reading works written by different authors. Try to choose about different times and places.

 

There are claims that you can significantly increase your levels of empathy and emotional intelligence by reading literary fiction books.

 

Reading also allows you to relax, unwind and turn off your brain after a particularly stressful day.

 

After Thoughts on Hobbies

 

Each one of these 10 hobbies provides benefits that you can translate into added success in your business through relaxation and focus. They also provide an excellent way to take a break from the pressure of being a business owner. As you are picking a hobby, be sure that it will truly relax you in the way you want. Working at a stressful hobby after a stressful day of work would be counter-productive.