Sue spends her days working a job she is not passionate about. But at night and on the weekends, she volunteers at the local pet shelter. She is passionate about animals and loves working with them. She often takes the initiative to see to their care, noting when they need medical attention or extra care. She keeps detailed notes on each animal.
Sue can learn a lot about who she is by looking at what she does in her free time. She is compassionate, organized, observant and a leader.
What do you do in your free time? Do you play golf or teach others to play golf?
Do you spend time with friends, going on adventures or do you enjoy your alone time?
Maybe you like to spend your evenings designing websites. You love to take an idea or concept and watch it turn into a beautiful, finished product.
Figuring out and tapping into what you enjoy doing in your free time can help you learn about what makes you tick. Everyone has passions but sometimes they become hidden for some reason. Maybe you put your passion on hold while you raised a family or because you were taking care of elderly parents.
It does not matter the reason. What matters is discovering them again. To do that, take some time and think about what you used to do before life got in the way. If you cannot remember, consider carrying a notebook with you, writing down when you see or hear something that excites you.
Volunteer – Do you volunteer in your spare time like Sue does in our example? Volunteering can be for non-profit groups, for animals or people. Maybe you are a girl scout leader or volunteer at your children’s school.
Hobbies – Hobbies are the things we often do for fun. Making wreaths, building furniture, painting, miniature railroading, tying fishing flies, baking cupcakes, writing or whatever you do that brings you joy gives you a hint at who you are.
Sports – Golf, baseball, skiing, fishing, or hunting are all clues to who you are and what attributes are a part of you. Think about what sports you do. What skills do they require? Do you need to be competitive with others or does it require you to be skillful in some way?
Recreation – Do you attend concerts, go boating, play with your grandkids, travel the world, cook, and try new recipes, attend antique shows, go flea market exploring, or something else in your free time? Any one of these and the many others you might do, all speak to who you are.
What you do in your free time can tell you a lot about who you are. Your fun time shows up in your personality without thinking. These are the things you do that makes you lose track of time. Explore what you do in your free time. Think about what skills, motivation, abilities, and assets you use doing these activities, then you’ll begin to understand who you are.