The mechanisms to try to maintain a hobby
The mechanisms to try to maintain a hobby in case problems appear are related to the causes:
1-For the lack of motivation, it will be necessary to look for goals more in line with the desires and abilities, reducing the difficulty of the almost unattainable ones and increasing the level somewhat in the too-easy ones. In the example of tennis, on the one hand, one can consider not wanting to play “very well” and realize that playing “fairly well” is enough. On the other hand, if the goal is easy because the opponent is terrible and always loses, we will have to look for other people who play more at our level.
Generally, the review of goals should be carried out according to one’s criteria. Still, it is essential to assess being advised by a teacher on the subject, consult books or videos or talk with other people who practice the same hobby, either individually or in specialized associations.
Generally, something that improves motivation is a certain degree of competitiveness or agreement expressed about other people. Hence, social contact can be significant. Social communication can be achieved only with a person who participates or by being part of clubs or groups, face-to-face or in social networks. Participation in tournaments, contests, exhibitions, etc., can also be a source of encouragement. What happens is that it is not easy to access this type of situation repeatedly.
2-For routine and boredom, you have to look for elements that give novelty to the hobby, that is, change at least one of the practice elements: level, type, place, social environment, etc. In tennis, it would be to occasionally change opponents, courts, rackets or even clubs or give classes to adjust the level of play. You can also consider, if you haven’t done it before, participating in championships or tournaments and, if you have already attended, look for other different ones in style or level.
In searching for novelties, the same methodology can be followed for changing goals: teachers, books, videos, classmates or associations.
It also helps against routine to contrast the activity that one performs with that of other people, as indicated in the previous section regarding social contact in various forms.
3-The difficulties must be valued by oneself, and one tries to act accordingly. If it is a minor physical problem, it is advisable to seek advice from a professional who indicates how to adapt to it (in the knee that hurts in tennis, perhaps a consultation with a traumatologist and a physiotherapist can make them suggest measures with which you can continue playing). Suppose the problem is a difficulty in the place of practice (for example, the nearby track has been closed, and you have to go to another one further away). In that case, you will have to find alternative solutions (go to the farthest one but perhaps fewer times than the closest one).
As a first step, the person must try to detect which of the reasons indicated may be the leading cause of losing enthusiasm for the hobby so that they can act accordingly. Also, in this aspect, the advice of someone who knows or practices the hobby can significantly help.
One option to avoid getting tired of a hobby is to have more than one. This has the advantage of diversifying our attention and makes us less likely to become demotivated. It can also be helpful because it allows us to leave a hobby for a while or even permanently but have something alternative to distract and motivate us. The drawback may be that we cannot do in-depth pursuits by dividing our attention and resources. One option, and something that often happens in reality, is to have a leading hobby and other secondary ones to which less enthusiasm and resources are devoted.
Suppose there is no acceptable solution to the problem of how to maintain the hobby. In that case, the option is to look for another one, which may be related to the previous one or be completely different (if the knee continues to hurt in tennis, but there is no injury, it may be possible to switch to padel, which requires less effort). If you have more than one hobby, the one that was “in second place” can move to the “first” category. For example, if in addition to tennis you like to sing in a choir, by leaving the first one you can sing more often and practice more, or change to a higher level choir.
Conclusion:
If a hobby or hobby no longer interests us as before, we must assess the following:
If there is a lack of motivation and it is convenient to change goals,
If the problem is routine and lacks novelty, in which case you have to look for ways to renew the activity,
If new situations make the hobby difficult for us, such as health problems or time, we must detect them and look for alternative options.
InTheossibility of improving contact with others who practice the same hobby must be assessed.
In all cases, the above does not solve the problem, consider combining several hobbies, and if no solution is found, you will have to look for another new hobby.
