Do Your Hobby at Work

By Marty Nemko

More often than you might think, you can incorporate your hobby into your job. Jan incorporates her photography hobby into her interior design job by hanging before-and-after photos on her office walls. A salesman at the Edelweiss jewelry store in Berkeley, California plays the guitar when business is slow-it passes the time while attracting customers. Way back when I was a teacher, I felt out of place with the mostly-female faculty. In the break room, conversation often centered around such matters as Cuisinarts and redecorating, not high on my interest list. My hobby is breeding roses. One day, I brought a bouquet into the teacher's room to the oohs and ahhs of the faculty. From then on, I brought in a fresh bouquet each week. Before long, I developed a reputation as the school romantic and became a favorite of the teachers and the principal.

What can you do today?
Can you think of a way of incorporating a current or previous hobby into your worklife?