17 Genius 10-Minute-A-Day Side Hobbies
You may be surprised by the happiness these small pursuits bring.
dimaberlinphotos | Canva We get it. You’re super busy and don’t have time for stuff outside of making money. But who said taking time in parallel to your work to do something extra-curricular and soul-nourishing needed to take hours?
Here are 17 genius 10-minute-a-day side hobbies:
1. Write flash fiction
Write a 100-word piece of fiction. Share it on Medium or Simily.
2. Take 10-second short film clips
Become known for them. Make them cinematic. Apply tilt shift so that everything looks miniature and cool.
3. Keep a fish tank
Get a tank, learn about the fishies and algae, and populate it with an alive underwater world.
Photo: BearFotos / Shutterstock
4. Paint quick watercolors of your surroundings
Share them with us on Instagram and build a following.
5. Get great at pull-ups
Pull-ups sound horrible to most people, but when seen as a daily hobby, it takes on a different feel. Get a bar and start with one a day. Progress from there.
6. Play word games
Crosswords aren’t only for the grey hairs. Have a puzzle to look forward to every day, and you’ll create an advantage in your knowledge — plus you give your brain a rest.
7. Listen to classical music
Learn about the great composers while you do it. Become a connoisseur and astound your guests.
8. Read fiction
What if you spent ten minutes a day reading classics? Becoming a classics expert, or just read for the pure thrill.
9. Become an expert in a niche subject
Pick an area of history, technology, or zoology — something you know you’re fascinated with — and commit to becoming an expert in your lifetime. All it needs is a few minutes of reading and researching a day.
10. Take up casual photography
You don’t need an expensive set-up to develop a superb portfolio. Take from the hip shots of your area and use this as a personal journal, an expressive exploration, and a means to grow an intrigued audience.
Photo: michaeljung / Shutterstock
11. Sketch stuff around you
Get a biro and notepad and do some bad sketches. Then do better ones. After 30 days, you’ll become great. All in under ten minutes.
12. Write a 250-word max non-fiction post
Some of my best articles were short and straight off the top of my head. You can make a career writing short posts.
13. Learn a language
Learn 5 new words a day.
14. Learn a deep-dive micro skill
What’s one thing you could learn intimately? This could be all you need to be in high demand — like negotiation, logo design, and writing landing sales pages for products.
15. Make models
Order in a fighter jet you can build and paint (the small kind). Same for plastic figures. This is a creative alternative to meditation, and you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment. You can even sell your models.
16. Master a classic game
Become great at one of the classic board games. Tell your mum it’s for hand-eye coordination.
17. Play chess
Play part of a game of chess, out in the park, in a coffee shop with a friend, or against Peter the AI. Or any one of the other classic games like Rummy, Mahjong, Poker, or Blackjack. Pick one, and choose a non-negotiable time in the day if you need accountability. Your alarm goes off and you get it done.
Perhaps your brain is crying out for some novelty. You don’t need to go massive to quench this thirst. Start small, maintain the habit, and watch the results compound into something magnificent.
Alex Mathers is a writer and coach who helps you build a money-making personal brand with your knowledge and skills while staying mentally resilient.