You Need a Hobby

What gardening taught me about the power of intrinsic motivation.

Just over a year ago, a friend called me one day and asked me a question that changed my life.

"Do you want to take over the garden?" he asked.

He had a small allotment close to where I live, and now that he had started a bigger garden elsewhere, he no longer had time for it.

I took a few seconds to think about it.

Given my personality, I knew what it would mean: I would have to commit. All in.

And that made me hesitate.

But I couldn’t ignore the spark that had made me try, year after year, to grow vegetables on my apartment balcony.

So I said yes.

My biggest learning.

Over the past year, I’ve learned a ton about growing food, plants, and soil.

But, arguably, the most valuable lesson hasn't been anything to do with plants. The most important thing I've learned is the power of intrinsic motivation.

You see, gardening isn't always fun.

Just this last month, I probably carried well over 1000 litres of water by hand to the garden. All this using just two watering cans, under a hot August sun, with mosquitos biting me the whole time.

Yet I did this without hesitation.

I can’t quite explain it but gardening, for me, is always weirdly captivating.

In fact, ever since I started, I find myself thinking about it almost daily.

• What will the weather be like over the next few days?

• What's the next project that needs to get done?

• Why is this plant not doing so well?

For whatever reason, my tiny garden captivates my attention like a teenager daydreaming about their crush.

So, why am I telling you all this?

Hobbies aren’t about making money.

There is zero financial incentive for me to garden.

There's no way I can grow vegetables in a way that's cheaper than buying some in the store. And certainly not in a way that’s more convenient.

From a purely rational economic standpoint, I’m probably even losing money as I’m spending hours I could be working for a financial reward. Not to mention the money I’ve invested in tools and materials.

But that's not the point.

In a world that has become obsessed with making money, not everything should be done for financial gain.

Some activities should be done because of the simple pursuit of curiosity.

The power of curiosity.

Gardening has opened up my eyes to how little I know about lots of important things.

Plant species, ecosystems, nutrition… I’m once again like a young boy, wide-eyed and receptive.

It’s an awe-inspiring feeling.

And, if you’re not feeling it, I wish the same for you.

Do something for the simple reason that you want to do it. Because it calls you, even if you don't quite understand why yet.

Don't plan. Simply do it.

Once started, the motivation to act will come from within. There’s no need to worry about the outcome or external pressures.

Those things that are so valued in professional lives are irrelevant here.

The process, the time spent, becomes its own reward.

While gardening, I lose myself until all that remains is the task at hand. Hours go by in seconds as the sun charts its course across the sky.

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I’m curious, what hobbies are you into? What have they taught you?

Let me know in the comments.

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