Hobbies
The mark of an accomplished business leader is that he/she has a hobby.
This demonstrates the ability to build balance into life. This, in turn, builds “perspective”. If you have a hobby you hang out with a different community than your regular business crowd. This shows you how other people live and think.
In my life I have had several hobbies.
Sports cars earlier on until recent times in which I’ve had the pleasure of driving some of the finest and fastest engineering examples of the motor sport.
Amateur radio (ham radio) which started out at 15 when I saved up enough money to buy a Heathkit GR54 shortwave receiver to listen to pirate radio, government propaganda stations like Voice of America, Radio Moscow, Radio France International. Later, once I passed the exams I received an amateur radio license that allowed me to to speak to fellow hams in other countries.
Model railroading, my main hobby now. I love trains. So the fun of building models, wiring the complex electronics of digital command control, constructing mountains and scenery, and doing all the other complex and simple tasks of simply running trains, is available to me. My equipment is high end, craftsman like models, and so the incredible amount of detail is right out there in front of me.
The people that make up these various hobby communities are an important part of balancing my life. They keep me grounded because of the perspective and life experience they bring.
I know a priest whose hobby is climbing peaks and hiking major epic trails around the world. It’s physical exercise.
I know another priest who is a potter. On his day off he throws pots, glazes and fires them.
A guy I know collects rare first editions.
Another woman I know cycles long distances and teaches kids to ski.
Yet another guy is an electronics wizard and loves to custom build software and hardware devices.
An old friend, now deceased, used to play on-line poker for fun.
My Polish grandmothers loved to work the earth in their backyard gardens.
I have an engineering technology friend who is a woodworker. You should see his craft!
What’s the point?
If you have a hobby, you are building into your life “perspective” and “balance”.
If you don’t have a hobby you are in danger of focusing too much on your business.
A hobby doesn’t take away from your family, unless, of course, you overdo it. So be careful.
A hobby keeps you grounded.
A hobby gets you off the couch and away from that stupid screen.
It invites you to communicate to a different level of person, outside of your admittedly insulated world in your business or job.
A hobby is a diversion. We need this.
God bless you and your family. You can be Catholic and successful in business. Believe it. St. Joseph, pray for us.
The Catholic CEO
Henry Kutarna