Back when the Lord Of The Rings films were out, I saw The Two Towers over 10 times, think it was 13, and bought every bit of memorabilia I could find on eBay.
But that was then.
Now … I’ve got more interests and I don’t want to just have one focus.
I have friends who are obsessive about history. For others it’s dance. At my dance class last night, I said I wasn’t sure I was going to commit to 4 nights a week of classes. The chap I was talking with said he would go out 8 nights a week if he could. Other people have said the same.
We do what’s right for us.
4 years ago I was dancing 4 nights a week, and many weekends away. But I now want to have more breadth to my interests.
I like swing dance (Lindy hop and Balboa) and I’ve been doing this for 4 years. I also wanted to learn Bachata and went to my 3rd class last night (Sunday). They also teach salsa, so I had my very first salsa class. I could go again on Mondays, and Fridays, but think this would be too much.
I also want to go to the cinema, to see live music, to volunteer at the theatre. But I also want some quiet evenings in at home.
But I invest time in my work and continue to do so. I don’t rest and think that I know it all, because you can never know it all!
Thinking back to the recent World Cup, or the Olympics, sportspeople are obsessive, and this allows them to develop their potential, to see if they have what it takes to be world class.
For people I meet through dance, and people interested in sport or music – the more classes you go to, or matches you play, and the practice you undertake the more you will develop the underlying skill to be as good as you can be.
Sometimes, though this obsession can be too much, and can become an unhealthy addiction. Such as gambling, gaming and compulsive shopping. Even too much exercise can become an addiction.
I wonder what makes some of us want to drill down into one hobby and others to take a broader view of life and to have more interests?
It could relate to the workplace. Some of us want to be experts and to know as much as we can in a narrow field. Others prefer breadth of knowledge and to have more variety. Understanding this can be helpful as we seek to change careers, or indeed to find a career at the start of our working life. I help people understand this as part of the Highlands Ability Battery assessment.
And if you want to understand more about who you are, or talk about plans for the future, let’s talk. You can schedule an initial consultation here.
