How To Simplify Your Hobbies

Hobbies are great, don't get me wrong, but sometimes they can create a lot of chaos and clutter and it makes them less enjoyable.  One aspect of my life that I worked on simplifying recently was all of my hobbies. Simplifying them also meant simplifying the supplies for each of them and making it easier to enjoy them without the stress and mess.
Separate Each Hobby

It's okay to have a handful of hobbies but when it comes to simplifying them you need to do it one hobby at a time, even if you store hobby supplies in the same area.  

Simplify Supplies

Now is the time to go through all of the supplies for that hobby.  Sewing means going through the thread, needles, and fabric.  Gardening means going through the garden tools, potting supplies, and everything in between.  For painting or drawing you need to go through your canvases and paper and especially your actual paints or markers.  Get rid of anything that's dried up, broken, or outdated.  If you have kept it in case you need to use it and you haven't used it in the last 2 years, get rid of it.  Do you really need 5 pairs of scissors for cutting fabric if they're all the same size and do the same thing? Consider keeping just 2 pairs so if something happens to one you will still have a backup. I love houseplants and gardening.  But when I simplified this hobby it was helpful for me to sit out all of the empty nursery pots I'd be hoarding.  I saw that I had so many of certain sizes there was no way I would ever use them all so I was able to reduce it by 75%.  

Organize It

Organizing and storing your hobby supplies is very important because it makes it easier for you to find what you need when you're actually working on your hobby.  Consider storing it in a way that you can easily get everything you need all at once and bring it to the location you will be enjoy your hobby.  With painting supplies I have an enormous square basket I have it all in (aside from canvases) so I can paint in any room of my choice easily by carrying the basket to that room.  I also have a little caddy for all my gardening supplies like weeding tools and shovels so that I can easily carry them around the yard with me or bring them in the porch if I am repotting houseplants.  Hopefully you have room for everything you need for each hobby since you reduced how much supplies you had in the last step. 

Designate Areas for Each Hobby

If you only do garden related activities outside, don't store those items in your basement or anywhere inside your house.  Keep them in a shed or your garage. I keep mine in my screened in porch.  For craft rooms that have multiple hobbies, it's okay to use that same space for each hobby as long as the supplies are kept separate so things don't get too messy.  You can also have different corners of a room for each hobby.  You may have an easel set up in the area you use for painting and then have a work station desk for your scrapbooking in another corner.

Let Some Hobbies Go

There are some things we grow out of over time no matter how much we think we'll get back into it.  Sometimes a hobby is a one time thing that comes from a project.  If you were working on painting old furniture that you found for your home and you no longer need anymore furniture, do you really need all the supplies to paint and sand?  If it's taking up precious space in your home, consider letting it go.  If many years down the road you suddenly decide to get back into it (doubtful), you can start over but trust me when I say that usually doesn't happen. I used to love horseback riding and I had some boots and a helmet that I kept in a storage bin for 15 years without using them. Recently, I came to terms with the fact that I won't be doing that on a regular basis anymore. If I do sign up for a random trail ride, the facility that hosts that usually has helmets to use.  No sense in me holding onto it. 

Simplifying your hobbies means that when you want to work on them you have ample space, easy to find supplies, and an area to concentrate without the distraction of a mess from other hobbies.

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