Heres the Secret to Finding Hidden Time for Your Hobbies

Here’s the Secret to Finding “Hidden” Time for Your Hobbies Suzy S. If you had an extra hour in your day, how  would you spend your time? Your answer to that question can tell you a lot about yourself, and its fun to think about. But the reality is: 24 hours is all you get. (Sorry!) You cant quit your job. You cant ignore family commitments and responsibilities. If you want to learn a new skill, improve your current talents, or work toward a big learning goal, its up to you to make that happen.  So how do you  balance that with a busy schedule? Its simple: learn to budget your time the same way you budget your money. Here are the steps you can take if you feel like youre too busy to learn or take up a new hobby, proven to work by some of our top students. 1. Decide you WANT  to learn. The first step to financial success is deciding to have a budget. And that budget is often dictated by  your short- and long-term goals. Maybe you want to pay off your student loans or  mortgage  within five years. Or maybe you just want that new jacket you saw at Nordstrom. Now lets translate that into learning: what are your goals there?  Do you want to be able to sing confidently in front of a group? Play guitar at a friends wedding? Speak Spanish fluently on an upcoming vacation? Write these down, and put them somewhere  you can see them every day. Excuses will always come up. And heck, life will sometimes get in the way. But if youre excited about improving your skills, thats the first step. 2. Be realistic. You wouldnt set a $300 budget for going out to eat  if you only had $50 discretionary cash per week. Similarly, be realistic  about the time you can commit to practicing and taking lessons. If youre juggling a busy schedule, a 30-minute lesson once per week may be all you can find time for. Or maybe you cant even commit to that fortunately, you can find teachers who are  more flexible week-to-week, and rescheduling is always an option if  something comes up. Once you have your lesson time penciled in, then its time to schedule your  practice time. But be realistic about that, too! You may not be able to practice for hours every day, and thats OK.  Even a short practice session will help you stay on track, if you make it efficient. 3. Find the right hacks. If youre a super-budgeter, you probably know all the tricks. You hold out for great deals, look for coupons and discount codes, and so on. Same goes for budgeting your time. If you break down your schedule, you may find you have extra time in your day for your hobbies. And yes, that may mean skipping  the Netflix marathons, or cutting back on the time you spend browsing social media. You were probably expecting that advice, right? But look: there are even more hacks you can try. Here are some ways TakeLessons students have  made time for their hobbies: Take online lessons. Ordering takeout for dinner is a great time saver. What if you could get music or language lessons delivered to the comfort of your home, too? Turn on your computer, pull up the TakeLessons Classroom, and you can meet with your teacher instantly   no travel time  required. Take advantage of  your workspace. If your company  allows it, consider taking your online lessons during  your lunch break. If you prefer in-person lessons, find a teacher close by your work, so its not a hassle to get to.  You can also use your time going to and from work. As a language learner, for example, you can practice listening to your  target language during your commute! Find  a flexible teacher. If you need to reschedule a lesson every now and then, dont stress. While  a designated  lesson time each week will help you stay accountable, we understand that things come up! If you have unique scheduling needs, feel free to use our  Ask a Question feature before booking your lessons, to find a teacher who can accommodate. Use your guilty pleasures to your advantage. Learning a new skill doesnt have to be all work, no play! Musicians: jamming with community groups or going to karaoke is a fun way to add music to your day. Language students, consider changing the language settings when youre watching TV, or pick a foreign movie with subtitles. 4. Adjust as needed. Budgets ebb and flow unplanned bills show up, salaries go up and down, and  cant-miss opportunities arise. The best financial advice is to stay flexible and adjust your budget often. Similarly, sometimes the time youve budgeted doesnt go as planned. We get it: life gets busy. So dont beat yourself up if you need  to reschedule a lesson or if you miss a practice session. Stay positive, and fit in what you can! Planning ahead can help, as well. Work with your teacher to create a 15-minute practice routine, if youre short on time one week. Or, make a list of ways to fit practice into your everyday life. Even the most successful people have off days. Get back on track when you can, review your  goals again, and envision where youd like your skills to be in one year. 5. Pay yourself first. One of the best money tips out there is to pay yourself first. What does that mean, exactly? In terms of finances, it means setting aside funds for your future self before  anything else. (Think: emergency funds, retirement accounts, and so on.) So, apply the same  strategy to how youre spending your free time. Want to stay sharp? Learning a musical instrument is linked to improved memory, concentration, and IQ. Want to get ahead in your career? In todays job market, learning a second language will make you a more valuable employee, and may even lead to a higher salary. Or maybe its a more personal goal. Many of the adult students we talk to mention they took music lessons as a kid, and wanted to bring that joy back into their lives. So the question is do  you want to invest in yourself? When you think of it that way, making time for your hobbies seems like a no-brainer. Readers, how do you make time for yourself? Have you ever felt like you were too busy to learn something new? Leave a comment below and share your experience!   Photo  by  Will Foster Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher