Can You Choose Your Hobbies?<\/p>\n
We all have our own natural interests, which often manifest in childhood. If you\u2019ve spent your whole life jumping horses and you still enjoy it, by all means, keep calm and equestrian on. However, interest in hobbies can change and evolve over time.<\/p>\n
I was obsessed with basketball when I was younger, memorizing player stats, shoveling snow from the court so I could play during long Illinois winters, and spending countless hours playing a basketball board game (Strat-O-Matic). Yet today I\u2019m a casual fan at best.<\/p>\n
More importantly, hobbies can even be manufactured. I’m not saying I first learned how to cook in college to impress a girl, but I’m also not saying I didn’t. I had no desire to fish with my dad when I was young, but now that my own son is interested, guess what I\u2019m doing? We can all try something new and focus our attention on hobbies we believe will align with our long-term goals.<\/p>\n
After all, Dr. Pinkus was an unhealthy, type-A, stressed-out doctor before finding his hobbies. Now, he’s the picture of fitness and calm.<\/p>\n
Not All Hobbies Are Created Equally<\/p>\n
While most things are acceptable in moderation, not all hobbies are equal. After 20 years in the ER, there are two things I’d never let my children do: bull riding and motocross. Even if you\u2019re an avid rodeo fan currently reaching for your lasso, we can still probably agree that smoking cigars, collecting Beanie Babies, and cave diving might be less desirable than swimming, gardening, and yoga.<\/p>\n
A well-chosen hobby can also accelerate your path to financial independence<\/a> by moderating expenses, promoting a healthy lifestyle that allows you to work longer, and even potentially generating side income<\/a>. A poorly chosen one can sabotage your financial life. What, then, makes an \u201cideal hobby\u201d for a financially conscious medical professional?<\/p>\n The 7 Characteristics of Healthy Hobbies<\/p>\n Optimal hobbies are not only inexpensive and low risk but can also be enjoyed into advanced age with friends, improving physical and mental health along the way. And if they provide other ancillary benefits such as networking, career advancement, or generational wealth, so much the better. Here are seven characteristics of healthy hobbies.<\/p>\n #1 Low Cost<\/p>\n Some hobbies are expensive by their very nature, but almost any activity can be taken to the extreme; there are $1 million Pok\u00e9mon cards for goodness\u2019 sake! Excessive spending on hobbies can quickly derail the financial plan<\/a> of even the highest earners.<\/p>\n Every dollar you save and invest at the start of your career multiplies through the power of compound interest. Unfortunately, new grads often gravitate toward the following activities, filling the void left by medical training with a new, expensive \u201cdoctor\u201d hobby. Much of the spiraling costs of these hobbies are from keeping up with the older, more established Dr. Joneses, so use discretion if any of these are your passions.<\/p>\n Flying: Getting a pilot\u2019s license is not prohibitively expensive, although lessons, plane rentals, and fuel costs add up. The real financial danger comes with purchasing and maintaining your own plane. The sky is literally the limit of what you can spend on this pastime. More information here:<\/p>\n How to Add Adventure to Your Life<\/a><\/p>\n How I Went from Chief Medical Officer to a Mushroom-Growing Hiker and the Family Chef in Retirement<\/a><\/p>\n #2 Not High Risk<\/p>\n As a physician, the ability to generate a substantial income is your biggest asset. Participating in unreasonably dangerous hobbies threatens this ability. While you can and should purchase disability insurance<\/a>, policies often have carve-outs for high-risk activities.<\/p>\n I’ve jumped out of airplanes, ridden motorcycles, played rugby, and hiked some seriously sketchy trails, so I’m not immune to the lure of potentially dangerous hobbies. However, risk is something we must consider, especially when we have families and are in the accumulation phase of our careers. Here are some high-risk hobbies you should think hard about before participating:<\/p>\n Hiking\/Mountaineering\/Canyoneering: Just ask WCI founder Dr. Jim Dahle about this one<\/a>. He can afford to take extended time off or even retire due to injury. Can you? #3 Longevity<\/p>\n Not every hobby can be continued indefinitely; Father Time is undefeated, as they say. Yet if we don\u2019t use our minds and bodies, they deteriorate rapidly. While I encourage early financial independence, the longer you stay healthy and active, the longer that working remains your choice. Fortunately, some pastimes can be enjoyed at any age, contributing to health and longevity.<\/p>\n Physical activities: swimming, golf, hiking, tennis, pickleball, hunting. More information here:<\/p>\n Functional Longevity: What Use Is Retirement If You Can\u2019t Move and Think?<\/a><\/p>\n Getting Rich and Ripped: How WCI Principles Help Build Wealth and Improve Your Physical Fitness<\/a><\/p>\n #4 Camaraderie<\/p>\n Despite being financially independent, one of the reasons I still work is the camaraderie I experience while working in the ER. It is well established that having meaningful friendships and social connections is beneficial for both your mental health and quality of life. Yet it’s hard to make non-work friends after we finish school. Men, in particular, seem to struggle with this as they age. Regularly bringing you together with a group of individuals with similar interests is one way that hobbies can enrich and perhaps prolong your life, especially if you plan to retire early.<\/p>\n Some places to build camaraderie include group sports, social clubs, interest groups, volunteer organizations, and religion. It might offend some to consider religion a \u201chobby,\u201d but if viewed through the lens of our seven factors, active religious membership covers many of the bases.<\/p>\n #5 Physical Health<\/p>\n The average American is overweight and sedentary, so even a small amount of exercise is beneficial. Essentially, any hobby involving physical activity is a bonus.<\/p>\n #6 Intellectual Stimulation<\/p>\n Hobbies that stimulate the mind can improve mental acuity and perhaps delay or reduce the risk of dementia. While medicine is intellectually stimulating, a hobby that can reinvigorate the desire to learn provides immense benefits. This is another broad category, as virtually any hobby that requires us to learn something new is beneficial.<\/p>\n Intellectually simulating activities include reading, writing, personal finance, chess and other board games, bridge and other card games, playing a musical instrument, and learning a foreign language.<\/p>\n More information here:<\/p>\n How This Financially Literate Doctor Got Scammed Out of $75,000<\/a><\/p>\n #7 Relaxation<\/p>\n As medical professionals, we have stressful jobs. Finding something that allows us to relax in a healthy and productive way is beneficial for our health and may even extend our careers. Relaxation comes in many forms. Some find it in the doing, while others find it in the blank spaces.<\/p>\n Relaxing activities include yoga, meditation, gardening, and painting.<\/p>\n Bonus: Networking\/Ancillary Benefits<\/p>\n Sometimes, it’s who you know. Social clubs, alumni groups, country clubs, and charitable organizations all provide opportunities to expand your professional network, potentially leading to career enhancement. If your favorite hobby provides these or other ancillary benefits, even better.<\/p>\n Too Much of a Good Thing?<\/p>\n While having no hobbies can be detrimental to your physical and mental health, being a \u201chobbyist\u201d can hurt your wallet and relationships. I have a good friend who is a serial hobbyist. He is a doctor, pilot, scuba diver, runner, hunter, fly fisherman, gun collector, DJ, videographer, snowboarder, and welder\u2014just to name a few.<\/p>\n While he might be the most interesting ER doctor in the world, my friend delves deeply into each new hobby, often going to extremes in terms of time and cost. While new passions are great, they can take time away from your family and loved ones. And what happens after you\u2019ve lost interest and have an airplane hangar full of scuba, fly-fishing, and welding gear?<\/p>\n The Most Interesting ER Doctor in the World’s airplane<\/p>\n It\u2019s normal to experiment until you find your passion. Just don\u2019t overextend yourself; rent or at least don\u2019t buy professional equipment until you\u2019ve found the two or three healthy hobbies that meet your criteria.<\/p>\n Should You Turn Your Hobby into a Business?<\/p>\n The best hobbies are an escape, a respite from the daily grind. Sometimes, people enjoy a hobby so much that they want to pursue it as a business. If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life, right?<\/p>\n The question is, will you still experience the same joy if your hobby becomes your job? My friend loves to fly, but would that passion last if he became a commercial airline pilot? I enjoy writing about personal finance, but I\u2019m not under an editor\u2019s deadline in order to make my mortgage payment.<\/p>\n![\"healthy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/healthy-hobbies-chart-300x300.jpg\")
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\nGolf: The stereotypical hobby of doctors, golf can be as expensive as you make it. Stick to off-the-shelf clubs and public courses, and you’ll be fine. Even custom clubs and professional lessons are OK. But venture into exclusive country club memberships and exotic trips to play famous courses, and the costs can quickly become an albatross.
\nBoating\/Sailing: Boat jokes speak for themselves. \u201cA boat is a hole in the water into which you pour money.\u201d \u201cYou don\u2019t really want a boat\u2014you want a friend with a boat.\u201d \u201cDid you hear about the yacht owner who\u2019s worth a fortune? He started with a much bigger fortune.\u201d
\nTravel: You can drive, fly business<\/a>, or fly private. You can stay in an RV, the Marriott, or the Four Seasons. While travel itself is amazing, you can upgrade your way into bankruptcy.
\nOther potentially expensive hobbies: Auto racing, collecting (watches, art, cars, etc.), skiing.<\/p>\n
\nFlying: Believe it or not, I\u2019ve treated two people who survived plane crashes over the years. But small planes are called doctor-killers for a reason.
\n4-Wheelers, RZRs, etc.: I regularly see patients with injuries from these machines. I even broke a couple of ribs myself snowmobiling in Iceland. I recently saw six unhelmeted high-school kids turn over a RZR, killing one, badly injuring another, and leaving four with minor injuries and a lifetime of regret.
\nOther potentially risky hobbies: Motocross (off-road motorcycle racing), motorcycle riding in general, bull riding, MMA, skydiving, surfing, full-contact team sports (football, rugby, lacrosse).<\/p>\n
\nNon-physical activities: reading, bingo, puzzles, teaching, gardening, painting, writing.<\/p>\n![\"cool](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/cool-airplane.jpg\")
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