20 Comments
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raymond's avatar

I feel like a big part of adulting is learning how to be more productive in boring ways, like stacking errands on the same day, cooking multiple portions at once (only if they taste good stored for a few days!), calling friends while you take care of chores, micro-cleaning your space so you never have to do a full on refresh, etc. like as much hate productivity gurus get, unless you adopt a good set of low maintenance habits, you’re not gonna have enough time for the stuff that matters!

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Jay's avatar

💯 absolutely agree, I’m glad I got on the productivity train early on because these things take yearsss to nail down and there’s always more to learn as we have increasing responsibilities

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Eimear's avatar

Wow what a thoughtful way to break this all down. So true about the difference between interests and hobbies being the difference between consumption and creation. Loved reading this

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Jay's avatar

Thank you so much Eimear!! I’m really glad this framework makes sense outside my brain too hahaha

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Jeffrey Tao's avatar

loved this! heavy on being more efficient with exercise and cooking so i can focus more of my time and energy on other pursuits.

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Jay's avatar

Or cleaning cutting boards, knives, etc. used for prep while food is getting cooked (cuz cleaning up after cooking is such a chore too)

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Nora's avatar

HA, totally agree

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Jay's avatar

thanks jeffreyy 🤗 exactlyy, forgot to add this but using an instant pot is def a hack

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Daphne's avatar

Absolutely in love with this! Your words, your take, everything. Just what I needed to hear <3

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Jay's avatar

Thank you so much, means a lot!!🥹

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AnaSofia Guerrero's avatar

Yes yes yes!!!

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renad!'s avatar

you seem really wise & thoughtful & cool! thank you for sharing this! love the idea of where friends are and will be trying it out

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Jay's avatar

Thanks so much renad for reading & sharing your kind words! ☺️

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Nora's avatar

Nice job in realizing that pyramid framework! :) I was wondering if hobbies and interests could be switched around as hobbies seem akin to habits as "grounding/building blocks" of our personhood while interests "consumption" can be grouped up with experiences as "luxuries" - or it's a double pyramid? habits + hobbies > personhood < interests + xps, but anyways, it's a fun read!!

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Jay's avatar

Haha thanks for the read and for workshopping w me while I was ideating this piece :) Agreed, I was debating the definitions and hobbies vs interests order for a while since all are up to interpretation really; ultimately, it came down to the frequency plus the manner of engagement, ie active vs passive, habitual spending vs. splurging.

One term I omitted but also think is worth mentioning are “passions,” which for me would actually encompass all 3 lower tiers (hobbies, interests, and habits) given how all-consuming and integrated into our lives they become over time. Thoughts on this?

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Gray Silver's avatar

I make time to read, write, and learn new skills! I love taking online classes--I find it so fulfilling. I love spending time dancing, singing, and with friends. Great article! I also want to really enjoy as much of each day as I can <3

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salvatore's avatar

love this framework jay and i’m actually really glad to see how you’ve split up hobbies and interests. i’ve personally thought of it as consumption and production and how we need to have an intentional mix of both to be happy and well-rounded :) some things also don’t quite coincide e.g. can’t have a “hobby” in high fashion because im not a designer or have the budget for a hermes-clad wardrobe. a ton of adult is making the space, both time-wise and mentally, for the things that matter to us. thanks for sharing :)))

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Rose_Unfolding's avatar

- reading this piece has made me a little more conscious to the fact that I really am just being idle and letting life pass me by. I’ve been taking steps to create more urgency but I have so much more to do!

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Yunus Emre's avatar

What a lovely post!! I've never thought of the difference between hobbies and interests. Also, until the sentence "...I hope I never have to retire..." I was thinking like "Why do we need to hate the work instead of finding something delightful in it?" but you've already mentioned :) Perhaps you can write a whole article about it so that we can find some valuable insights!

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Shramana's avatar

Such a good read. Breaking it down so beautifully. Thank you for writing this

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