Hobby or Hustle by Design
Having hobbies is not just a way to kill time but a pathway to living a happier and healthier life. Hobbies help us escape our daily stresses, explore our passions, and express our creativity. They also give us balance and peace in our busy lives. Hobbies help us define ourselves beyond our work roles and contribute to our well-being.
The thing is, many people feel pressured to turn their hobbies into profitable businesses. While making a living doing what you love sounds amazing, it can also be challenging. Studies show that people lose the joy of doing something they initially loved when money is involved. This is called overjustification, which can cause negative feelings attached to the activity when it becomes a means of income.
Before considering the leap from hobby to business, evaluate how this transition aligns with your overall well-being and life goals. Success encompasses more than financial gain; it includes personal growth, sustained joy, and authenticity in your pursuits.
The 'five hobbies rule' is a method that encourages having a diversified approach to hobbies, including physical activities, creative pursuits, income generation, educational endeavors, and mindset cultivation. This ensures a balanced and fulfilling lifestyle.
This rule can significantly refine your decision-making process when combined with insights from your Human Design Profile. Your profile helps you identify your unique strengths, preferences, and potential life paths, allowing you to align your hobbies with your true self. This alignment can help you pinpoint which passions could skillfully transition into a career while preserving the joy they bring into your life.
Today, we'll explore how each profile can help you decide which hobbies to monetize and which to enjoy solely for their intrinsic value. If you don't know your profile, you can look it up here.
1/3 Profile—Deciding which hobby to turn into a job and which to keep for pleasure involves balancing your deep interest in specific areas with the need for variety and growth. Consider turning a hobby into a hustle if it allows you to continually learn and evolve, rather than confining you to a single path. This approach helps ensure that your professional choice will secure your need for in-depth knowledge and experience and keep you open to new opportunities and developments, preventing stagnation and enhancing your overall potential.
1/4 Profile—Deciding which hobby to turn into a job and which to keep for pleasure involves balancing personal reflection with community interaction. Consider turning hobbies into hustle if these activities allow you to delve deeply into your interests and engage meaningfully with others. Hobbies that fulfill these needs can be good career choices, while those mainly offering personal solitude or relaxation are better kept for pleasure. This balance helps ensure your professional life is fulfilling and impactful, aligning with your innate drive to share expertise and connect with your community.
2/4 Profile—Balancing solitude and community interaction is key when choosing between turning a hobby into a job or keeping it for pleasure. Consider a hobby for a career if it allows you to enjoy both personal time and social engagement without feeling overwhelmed. The key is to select activities that won't lead to burnout, ensuring you can still find joy and fulfillment in your professional and personal lives. This balance allows you to honor your retreat and engagement needs, making your choices more sustainable and satisfying.
2/5 Profile—Deciding which hobby to turn into a job and which to keep for leisure hinges on balancing active problem-solving and personal downtime. Consider turning hobbies into a hustle if these activities align with your passion for innovation and provide enough opportunities for rest and rejuvenation. Ensuring your professional pursuits allow for this equilibrium will help you stay energized and maintain your problem-solving prowess, making your work more enjoyable and sustainable.
3/5 Profile: Choosing which hobby to make a career and which to enjoy as a leisure activity depends on your ability to engage with challenges that spark interest and allow for learning through experience. Consider turning a hobby into a hustle if it aligns with your passion for tackling practical problems and offers the freedom to learn from trial and error. This reflection ensures you choose a path that keeps you motivated and allows for continuous growth, fulfilling your professional journey and aligning with your innovative nature.
3/6 Profile— The key to deciding whether to turn a hobby into a job or keep it for pleasure lies in finding a balance between active involvement and reflective wisdom. Consider a hobby for a hustle if it offers opportunities to experiment and learn firsthand while also providing moments for thoughtful reflection. This balance allows you to honor your dual nature, ensuring that your career choice is engaging and fulfilling, allowing you to thrive in chaos and contemplation.
4/6 Profile - Choosing between turning a hobby into a hustle or keeping it for leisure involves ensuring that the activity allows you to be true to yourself and positively influence your community. You should pursue a career in hobbies that let you lead authentically and resonate with those who appreciate your unique style rather than trying to please everyone. This approach helps you make decisions that align with your values and enable you to make a significant impact, fulfilling your potential as leaders who inspire by example.
4/1 Profile - Deciding which hobby to turn into a hustle and which to keep for pleasure involves choosing activities that align with your core values and allow for authentic expression of your passions. It would help to look for a career in hobbies that lets you stay true to yourself while balancing community engagement and personal reflection. This alignment ensures you pursue a path that satisfies your need for authenticity and learning and brings fulfillment and joy to your professional and personal lives.
5/1 Profile - The decision to turn a hobby into a hustle or keep it for pleasure should hinge on whether the activity allows for ongoing learning and excitement. Aim for a career that lets you deepen your expertise and engage with challenges that interest you. This reflection helps ensure that your professional path not only fuels your passion for knowledge but also keeps you motivated and engaged, fulfilling your work and keeping it in line with your natural inclination to learn and grow.
5/2 Profile— Choosing a hobby to turn into a hustle or keep for pleasure depends on balancing personal exploration and public engagement. Consider making a career out of hobbies that allow you to use your talents freely and contribute significantly to your field. Ensuring your professional pursuits provide enough space for independent discovery and impactful work will help you stay true to your nature and maximize your innate abilities.
6/2 Profile - Deciding which hobby to turn into a hustle and which to enjoy for pleasure involves choosing activities that allow you to share your wisdom and inspire others authentically. Consider careers that let you reflect on your experiences and lessons learned, enabling them to guide and influence effectively. This approach ensures that your professional life extends your personal journey and expertise, making your work meaningful and fulfilling.
6/3 Profile - Choosing which hobby to turn into a hustle and which to keep for leisure involves finding activities that enable hands-on engagement and continuous learning from experiences. Opt for a career that allows you to embrace trial and error while gaining wisdom, ensuring your work is a meaningful journey of growth and resilience. This balance will help you make the most of your natural ability to learn from life, leading to a fulfilling and dynamic professional path.
Hobbies can shape a happy and balanced life, offering a sanctuary from the daily grind and a potential pathway to career fulfillment. As you reflect on transforming a hobby into a hustle, consider how it aligns with your unique Human Design Profile.
If you're curious about how best to align your hobbies with the five hobbies rule, consider exploring more of your Human Design through an Insight Session or The Energy Guide.
REFLECTION PROMPTS
Reflect on your current hobbies and consider which ones bring you the most joy and satisfaction. How might these hobbies align with your professional skills and goals? Can you envision a way to transform these passions into a viable career without losing the essence of what makes them enjoyable for you?
Think about your Human Design Profile or your natural inclinations and strengths. How do these characteristics influence your choice of hobbies and career path? Are there hobbies you currently engage in that align with your Human Design, and how might these activities serve as a bridge to a fulfilling career?
Consider the concept of overjustification, where the joy of doing something for its own sake diminishes when it becomes a source of income. How can you balance the financial aspects of turning a hobby into a career with the need to maintain personal fulfillment and joy in the activity? Reflect on the hobbies you might be considering for monetization and assess whether you can sustain your passion for them even when they become work-related tasks.
