Are Your Hobbies a Distraction in Disguise?

Over the past couple weeks, I’ve picked up a new hobby: Magic the Gathering. It’s a card game that’s been around since the 90’s, and is very, VERY popular. What’s particularly striking about this game? The game has 50,000+ unique cards. There’s an immense amount of information to learn about this game simply in the cards alone, before delving into the game’s unique strategy and mechanics. To learn this game, it’s a HUGE time sink.

Despite the complexity, I’ve dove into this complexity with excitement. Most of this excitement is kept alive by the amazing people I’ve met because of this game, though another portion of this excitement is undeniably a desire for escape.

You see, sapoots is a lot of work. And despite the work I’ve put in, I know I’m not putting in enough. I know I could (and should) be putting in more work for as passionate as I am about this project. Yet, I’m making room for distraction? I try to remind myself that as long as I’m making progress, life is good. Yet on the flip-side, sapoots can’t take off without the many hours required for quality.

A friend of mine warned me about my newfound excitement for Magic. He said, “Look, you have some really great momentum going with this whole sapoots thing, it’d be a shame to divert your attention elsewhere. To distract yourself from what’s most important to you right now: sapoots.”

Those words stung, thankfully so, because it forced me to reflect on my relationship with this new hobby. Am I passionate about Magic because the game is amazing? Am I inclined to keep playing because of social pressure? Am I driven to keep playing as a means to escape doing work? Why is it that I feel the urge to keep playing, despite this hobby carving away more precious time?

The truth is, it’s a blend of all these factors. I keep playing because I love hanging with the people I play with. I keep playing because the game is fun as hell. I keep playing because I want an escape from the work.

Yet, despite the warning, this doesn’t have to detract from my efforts towards sapoots. In fact, it can enhance the quality of work I put towards sapoots. That is, if managed carefully.

Your hobbies, if managed poorly, can impede your work. It all boils down to how well you manage your “modes of thinking.” Let me explain.

For many of us, there are two predominant modes of thinking:

1. “The Work Mode”: The frame of mind you put yourself in when you need to do work. When you’re on the clock, when you talk to a boss, etc. It’s professional. You hold yourself to a standard. You exhibit discipline on your actions to remain on task. This is work mode.

2. “The Unbound Mode”: The frame of mind you typically land in when it’s time to “let loose.” Your shift is up. Time to clock out, watch some Netflix, do some art, hit the club, play some video games, whatever. Your mind is free to wander, no fear or guilt involved. Relaxation is the priority.

These two frames of mind are distinct, providing outlets for relaxation, recharge, and fun while allowing you to fulfill your responsibilities effectively. I’ve been stuck in the middle ground. Not fully in work mode, not entirely unbound, but feeling compelled to work while relaxing and relax while working.

The result? Far less productivity, and an immense amount of guilt for attempting to relax after an unproductive day of work. Here’s a drawing to illustrate my point:

To avoid the zone of maximal guilt, choose a side. Are you in work mode or unbound mode? Once you’ve made your decision, FULLY COMMIT. Being as far as you can be on either side is optimal. If you’re going to work, go all in. If you’ve decided to relax, relax to your maximum. Don’t linger in the in between—you’ll get nothing done while feeling exhausted afterwards.

The beauty of leaning ONLY into one mode is that it allows you to do both: Have fun and get the work done. You don’t have to choose “this” or “that”, you can have both. I can work on sapoots AND play magic as much as I want, so long as I don’t enter the zone of maximal guilt. Apply this formula to whatever you need to in your life.

As the great Jocko Willink one said, “discipline equals freedom”. Devoting yourself to relaxation is a discipline too, don’t forget that. You can enjoy both, just try not to do them simultaneously.

Til next time,

sapoots