Garima GayatriMost often, we do not realize the importance of hobbies unless the mundane and monotony completely takes over our personal life. All the while in the process of growing up, our hobbies slowly take a backseat. “Hobbies are for children”, remark the adults. But now, sitting in your office cubicle, unable to think through, you begin to wonder all over again, “Are hobbies only for children?”.
In the quest for becoming successful, we are failing on many fronts. We make no room for the self who loves to paint, read, collect stamps, dance, or sing. The job has become real and the real self is losing its originality. Slowly and steadily.
Why a conversation around the Importance of Hobbies in Career
A creative pursuit or activity, completely unrelated to work. Isn’t that a wonderful way to remove yourself from the professional space and turmoil? Even if it is for a while, it is quite important and a great way to de-stress and relax your mind. A revived soul is more than ready to get back to work and focus on professional matters. The importance of hobbies is gaining ground amid the foundation of a successful career. For hobbies help you recharge your mind and come back better and stronger.
Here’s why your hobbies are important for your career:
Critical Thinking
Your hobbies give you a broader perspective and you tend to view things in a different light. For any critical thinking to originate, an open mind and a wider perspective is important. No critical analysis can take place in a narrow setup. With the help of your hobbies, the things that you love to indulge yourself in, you can definitely improve your problem-solving and critical analysis skills.
Creativity
No matter where you work – at the desk or the field, creativity is an asset. The recent oil and gas recruitment trends reveal that employers are looking for individuals who can creatively approach a problem. The oil and gas industry, infamous for its highly traditional and complex working ways, is now welcoming creative and innovative solutions. The industry believes that the oil and gas millennials will bring a wave of creativity and fresh perspective on the table.
Organizational Skills
Most of the organizational skills are not learnt within the organization. It is important to note that you enter an organization with your organizational skills clearly stated on your resume. These skills begin to develop right from your childhood. They further develop in school and college and become an integral part of your personality. Your hobbies and creative inclinations play an integral role in helping you hone strong organizational skills.
(Suggested Read: All about putting the rights skills on Your Resume)
Passion and Inspiration
Hobbies often reflect our passion and motivation for certain activities. Be it volunteering for a cause or writing for change, your hobbies can help you participate in activities that go beyond your work profile. You can start up a new initiative within the workplace and be recognized as a passionate and motivated employee. Only if you are inspired enough, you can inspire change. From bringing about inclusion to setting up a body for equal rights within your organization, the change can be about any issue close to your heart.
Confidence
It is interesting to observe that most of the confidence we gain is not merely from our technical expertise or professional experience. We become confident because of our hobbies. You have more to talk about and engage yourself in with your creative inclinations and hobbies. The importance of hobbies in your career majorly reflects when you do not shy away from taking additional responsibilities at work, leading a new initiative, or organizing events or workshop within the company. Moreover, a challenging hobby like learning a new language or solving brain teasers, greatly enhances your self esteem at work.
Networking
The importance of networking can not be ignored in modern times especially when the world is moving towards one global space. Not just the oil and gas industry, but networking is the key to major breakthroughs in any sector. Wondering how networking and hobbies are related? Here’s how. You love doing Zumba. After work, you head towards your Zumba class and there, you connect with people in your industry with similar interests. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Your hobbies give you the opportunity to build a strong professional as well as personal network.
Personal Development
Your hobbies, your interests, your beliefs – all of these come together to define who you are as an individual. Your personality is shaped by these along with your academic and professional achievements. With some interesting hobbies, you come across as a person who is diverse and vibrant. The best part of having hobbies is they help you grow and move beyond the narrow spectrum of career. A career is not just your job. Personal development is definitely a perk at your workplace, all the more with creative and interesting hobbies.
If you do not have a hobby, find one
It is alright if you do not have a hobby. Like most of us out there, maybe you never pondered upon the importance of hobbies in life or career. There’s still time. Time to create some space for yourself, to enrich your experiences, to do things that you love. The joy and peace your hobbies will bring shall go on to reflect in your career.
We at Energy Dais understand what it means to create a fine work-life balance. We not only bring you insightful and meaningful career guidance but also help you find the right way in the oil and gas industry. Get in touch to know more!
(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Energy Dais.)
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