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Enjoying New Hobbies

Written by Alberta Ellison

Retirement means more time for those hobbies that you have been doing or that you have been dreaming about learning. Now is a great time to get involved and to start enjoying old and newly learned hobbies. If you are thinking that you are not crafty, think again! There are literally hundreds of different hobbies out there and you can find the right one for you.

If you are not sure where to start when it comes to a new hobby take a few minutes and thinking about what you would like to do. Have you always wanted to learn how to draw, take photos, create leather or wood products, knit, paint, prepare floral arrangements, make a hand-sewn quilt, or decorate cakes? Once you have figured out which hobby you want to learn, you can take the next step. Check with local craft stores or with your county’s recreation centers. Many of them offer a wide variety of classes for everyone from beginners to intermediate crafters for a small fee. What better place to learn a new craft than around a table with others. This is not only an opportunity to learn something new but you also have an opportunity to meet new people.
Today most people are taking digital photos and saving them to disk. To view them you need a computer. Why not drag out those boxes of family photos and memorabilia and create photo albums or scrapbooks? The great thing about this new hobby is your ability to create a family memory that can be shared and saved. Knowing that some seniors have limited resources, these books can serve a dual purpose. You have a new hobby, a special gift, and you have cleaned out some of the clutter.

Being more active is also a part of a healthy lifestyle. Your new hobby does not have to be one that you do sitting down. Many seniors are joining walking clubs, have taken up golf or tennis and are joining water aerobic classes. While starting a new physical activity might be difficult you will benefit from keeping your body agile and exercising your heart. Even if you do not think about it that way, being physically active helps keep you mentally and physically toned.

When you enjoy making craft items you quickly realize that you have run of people to give these items to as gifts. Do not despair or stop making them, just think differently. You can donate them to a church bazaar, to a hospital or to store owned and operated by a charitable organization (and get a charitable deduction). These organizations will sell the item and the proceeds go toward their cause. This allows you to continue with your hobby, to get a small tax deduction and to know that ‘someone’ out there is enjoying your product.

Do not think that you can not do any new hobby. You can do anything if you just make up your mind that you can. A positive attitude will take you far and you will be surprised at just how much fun you can have when you take the time to learn a few new hobbies.

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Ms. Ellison recently retired from the Government Accountability Office after 37 years of service. A graduate of George Mason University, she devoted the majority of her career to working with senior level auditors from around the world who came to participate in GAO 's International Auditor Training Program. In retirement she is enjoying traveling, writing and spending time with her family.

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