Make Your Work a Hobby and Your Hobbies Work

What if work wasn’t just something we have to do—but something we want to do?

And what if our hobbies weren’t just for when we feel like it—but something we need to do?

Part One: Make Your Work a Hobby

When you wake up in the morning for work, do you find yourself already looking forward to the end of the day? Already counting down to Friday on Monday? Whether you’re a doctor, lawyer, cashier, mechanic, or full-time writer, something about work being work makes it unappealing—even when you enjoy your job.

Work pays the bills, after all. We can’t just quit because we wish it were the weekend already. Work, however enjoyable, is still work.

Let me give an example. When I was a teenager, and I was about to do the dishes, I was totally fine with it. But most of you probably already know where this is going. As soon as my mom asked me to do the dishes, it suddenly felt like a task—something I had to do, not something I wanted to do anymore. I’d say, “I was going to do the dishes, but now that you asked me to, I don’t want to.”

Most of the time, I still did them anyway (most of the time), but once it was a requirement, it became less enjoyable. I wanted it to be over so I could move on to something I chose.

This shift is actually explained by something called Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985). It says that humans have three basic psychological needs:

• Autonomy (the need to feel in control of your actions)

• Competence (the need to feel capable and effective)

• Relatedness (the need to feel connected to others)

What changed when my mom told me to do the dishes wasn’t the number of plates or how long it would take. It was that I lost my autonomy. It stopped being my choice.

This concept is backed by several studies, including one by Edward Deci (1971), where students who enjoyed doing a puzzle were paid to do it. Once money entered the picture, they lost motivation and didn’t perform as well. Their intrinsic motivation vanished—replaced by an external reason to keep going. The reward had shifted from enjoyment to payment, and that was enough to kill their motivation.

So I’ll ask you: What is your reward for your work? Is it money, or is it something else?

I’ll go first. I’m a highly unmotivated person when money is the only reward. Not because I don’t want to get paid—I do—but because I constantly feel like I’m wasting time. I keep asking myself, “Is there a better way I could be spending this hour of my life?”

This means that sometimes I enjoy things less than I should, because I’m always second-guessing. But it also means I can’t keep doing something if it doesn’t have a deeper purpose.

So, after my first day of washing cars in a heat wave this summer, I had to ask myself: “Would I do this for free?” and “Is this really worth something beyond the number in my bank account?”

It had to matter to me. I needed to find purpose in it—something beyond money.

For me, that deeper purpose is Jesus. I’m not going to preach to you, I promise. This is the verse that drives my life:

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

When I started washing cars, I had to ask myself:

Am I doing this in the name of Jesus?

Or in the name of money?

As a follower of Jesus, if I can’t find a way to make everything I do a form of worship, then I’m missing the point. So every day when I come to work, I try to remind myself: I would do this for free.

It’s not that I don’t need money—it’s just that I need a reward greater than that.

If my worship can look like washing cars, smiling at customers, and saying good morning to coworkers, then that’s what I’ll do. In the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

If you share my faith, then you know: He is our ultimate purpose. If you don’t, I’d still encourage you to ask yourself—

What purpose are you driven by?

Maybe it’s your family. Maybe it’s the work itself. Maybe it’s simply spreading a little kindness wherever you go.

Whatever it is, put words to it. Hold onto it when you go to work.

Make your work a hobby.

Make the reason you show up matter.

You’ll find it so much more enjoyable, I promise.

You’d do your hobbies for free—can you say the same for your work?

Part Two: Make Your Hobbies Work

Imagine you’re sitting at work.

No—really. Close your eyes for a second, imagine you’re sitting at work (or school) staring at the clock, counting down the seconds, wishing they’d go faster, and ask yourself: What am I counting down the seconds for?

Then ask: Should that be what I’m counting down the seconds for?

And finally: What do I wish I were counting down the seconds for?

You’ve just thought about three things:

1. What you want to be doing instead of working.

2. Whether that’s actually something worth longing for.

3. What you really want to be doing with your time.

If your first answer was something like TV or Instagram reels, I’m not here to judge you. I’ve been there. But I’m willing to bet there’s something deeper you wish you were doing. Maybe it’s reading. Writing. Painting. Fishing. Going to the gym. Learning an instrument. Writing music. You know what it is. And if you don’t, I challenge you to look.

Here are the two lies that have kept me from doing those things:

Lie #1: I don’t have time.

If you’re a single parent or you’re working multiple jobs just to stay afloat, this might not be a lie. But if you’re spending hours every night scrolling or binging a show, then yes—you probably do have time. You’re just spending it somewhere else.

Lie #2: I’m too tired.

Again, I’m not discounting real exhaustion. I’ve felt it. But most of us aren’t too tired for hobbies—we’re just too tired to start them. Consuming is easier than creating. But it’s not always more restful.

Believe me, I know what it’s like. I know what it’s like to spend a whole day doing things I have to do, with no time left for the things I want to do. I know what it’s like to come home at the end of one of those days and feel so drained I can barely move.

But—

I refuse to believe in this reality. I have dreams, and I refuse to believe that I don’t have time for them. I have dreams, and I refuse to believe that I’m too tired for them.

I want to write a book. I want to finish my screenplay. I want to make YouTube videos. I want to write songs. I want to run. I want to work out. I want to eat healthy. I want to spend more time with my family. I want to save money well. I want to play with my dogs. I want to learn a third language. I want to learn more instruments.

I’m sure you have your own list. And if you don’t—look deeper. It’s there. You’d be surprised.

Maybe a better phrase is than “make your hobbies work” is “make your dreams work.” This is your sign to take the wise words of Nike to heart, and just do it.

Just write one page.

Just go to the gym.

Just practice a little Spanish.

Just show up.

Every day.

Make your hobbies work. Make your dreams work. Don’t let them die just because you “don’t feel like it.”

How many pages could you have written if you used all the time you spend on instagram? How many YouTube videos could you have made in the time you’ve spent watching them? How many books could exist if you listen to that voice in your head that says “write it down”?

I’m not calling you out. I get it. I know it’s hard. I know you have precious little time. I know you’re tired. So am I.

But I’m not going to let that kill my dream.

I hope you don’t either.