The Surprising Joy of Learning Something Useless

A 2023 study published in Nature Medicine followed more than 93,000 adults aged 65 and older across 16 countries and found that those with hobbies reported better health, fewer symptoms of depression, and higher life satisfaction than those without, which is a great excuse to finally try the completely impractical thing you've always wanted to do.¹

• Pick something delightfully pointless. Bookbinding, celestial navigation, bread sculpting, or competitive rubber duck racing all count. The sillier, the better.
• Start with one small step. A library book, a YouTube tutorial, or just one class at your local community center might be all it takes to get started.
• Embrace your role as a beginner. You're not doing this for a performance review. Mess up freely and often, and then laugh about it!
• Find your people. Most hobbies have a club or online community. Birdwatching groups, pottery guilds, and amateur astronomy societies are usually happy to have new members.
• Make it social. Invite a friend, family member or a neighbor to learn alongside you. Shared fumbling is twice as fun.
• Celebrate tiny progress. Did you keep a sourdough starter alive for a week? That's a win! The goal is joy, not mastery. It can be hard to accept, but we don't have to be good at everything!
• Rotate freely. You are allowed to dabble and move on. Retirement is a great time for curiosity without obligation.

Retirement hands you something rare: time that belongs entirely to you. Fill some of it with things that make you laugh and spark your curiosity. You’ve spent enough time being practical. Go learn something wonderful.

^{1 Mak, Karen, et al. “Hobby Engagement and Mental Wellbeing Among People Aged 65 Years and Older in 16 Countries.” 11 SEP 2023, Nature Medicine, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02506-1.}