A few years ago, I was listening to one of Rob Dial's podcasts about life and personal growth. One topic that really stayed with me was his idea of maintaining five essential hobbies. According to him, a person should have hobbies that make money, keep you healthy, make you creative, build knowledge, and evolve your mindset.
At first, it sounded like a simple checklist.
But when I actually tried to apply it to my own life, I realized it was much more difficult than I expected.
Over the past few years, I've been making a conscious effort to develop hobbies that fit those categories. The biggest challenge hasn't been finding hobbies—it's finding the time, consistency, and focus to stick with them. Like many people today, life gets busy, distractions are everywhere, and it's easy to lose momentum.
There were also moments when I felt discouraged because I didn't think my hobbies were "big enough" to be considered accomplishments. I kept comparing myself to people who had mastered incredible skills or built impressive careers around their passions.
But recently, I realized something important.
The goal isn't to have perfect hobbies.
The goal is simply to keep growing.
One thing that has made this journey much more meaningful is Hive.
Looking back, I honestly believe Hive has played a huge role in helping me stay motivated. Having a platform where I can document my experiences, share my progress, and connect with people who enjoy reading about those experiences gives every hobby a greater purpose.
Instead of doing something once and forgetting about it, I get to write about it, reflect on it, and preserve those memories.
That alone makes the journey much more rewarding.
The easiest category for me is probably the hobby that makes me money.
Writing blogs and staying active on Hive definitely fits that description.
Some people may disagree because of Hive's current market price, but I genuinely consider Hive to be real money. It is digital cash. Regardless of today's value, it still represents ownership and has real-world value. Personally, I even believe it has characteristics that make it better money than traditional fiat currencies.
The financial rewards aren't my only motivation anymore, but knowing that my hobby can also generate income makes writing here even more satisfying.
Almost a year ago, I started cycling.
Without a doubt, it has become one of my favorite hobbies.
Cycling keeps me active, strengthens my cardiovascular system, and gives me an excuse to spend hours outdoors instead of sitting in front of a screen.
One unexpected benefit is that cycling allows me to discover places around my city that I would probably never visit otherwise. Every ride becomes a small adventure, and many of those adventures eventually become blog posts here on Hive.
It's like one hobby naturally feeds another.
I honestly think that's pretty awesome.
More recently, I began learning chess.
Some people see chess as just another board game, but I think it's much more than that.
Every move forces me to think ahead, evaluate consequences, and stay patient before making decisions. It's teaching me that rushing often creates mistakes while careful planning usually leads to better outcomes.
One thing I love about playing chess is how deeply focused I become. Sometimes I don't even notice how much time has passed because I'm completely immersed in the game.
It feels like I'm exercising a part of my brain that I rarely use in everyday life.
I hope that, over time, chess will help me become a better decision-maker—not only on the board but also in life.
At this point, I'm still searching for hobbies that truly satisfy the categories of building knowledge and boosting creativity.
Maybe I'll discover them this year.
Maybe they'll appear naturally as I continue exploring new interests.
I'm not in a hurry anymore.
I've realized that building meaningful hobbies isn't about completing a checklist as quickly as possible. It's about creating habits that make life richer, healthier, and more fulfilling over the long term.
And thanks to Hive, every new hobby feels a little more worthwhile because I have a place to tell its story.
Maybe years from now I'll look back at these posts and realize that the greatest hobby I ever built wasn't just cycling, chess, or blogging.
