by Wes Hartig, MedOne, & Member Relations Coordinator

As young professionals working to advance their careers while juggling the joys of homeownership and trying to keep family first, free time is hard to come by. In the event you do find yourself with some free time, there may be obstacles (i.e. global pandemics) preventing you from spending it on activities you enjoy.

I wish I could blame Covid-19 on the fact that I have not kept up with my hobbies of the past, which include tennis, running and cycling. The truth is other priorities (family as the primary) came to the forefront and I experienced a little burnout. As a result, I was happy to let these hobbies phase out of my life.

However, I recently had a conversation with a colleague the other day and was asked what I do for fun outside of work. I’m sure many of you have been asked this same question. I found myself answering with these long lost hobbies of mine, even though it has been years since I participated in them.

I’ve recently convinced myself that making time for these hobbies doesn’t have to come at the expense of family or work. I can play tennis with a customer or co-worker. I can go to the driving range with the family. I can strap in the little ones for a bike ride or run. Combining activities that I enjoy with family and work time is one of my resolutions for 2021. In addition, I am trying to be more willing to explore new activities and hobbies.

If Covid-19 has taught us anything, it is that the lines between personal and work life are more blurry than ever…so we might as well embrace it.