It’s Okay to Outgrow the Things You Once Loved

It just means you’ve changed, and that’s a good thing. 

by Gabriella Di Dea

Image by Tomoki Narukawa

I have another confession: I don’t really find myself enjoying any of the things that I used to. I’m not sure if it happened little by little or all at once, but it feels like all of my hobbies and things no longer have that same appeal as they once did. 

In 2024, I went through the worst reading slump of my entire life. I initially set my annual Goodreads challenge to 50 books because I had just gotten through a great year of reading in 2023. 

However, when I had only read 6 books by March, I knew this goal was close to impossible. So, in an effort to keep myself motivated, I lowered my goal to 20 books. An easy goal, or so I thought. 

I tried to tally up as many as I could, but even including books I read for class, I only managed to read 14 books last year. For someone whose identity largely lies within being a reader, I felt a huge gut punch to my ego. 

How was I supposed to call myself an avid reader if I couldn’t even bring myself to open a book in my free time? Besides, if I want to be a book editor, wouldn’t I need to be super enthusiastic about wanting to read all the time? 

As you can see, a dilemma was ensuing. 

Even more so, I hadn’t picked up a crochet needle in months. I started crocheting sometime during my freshman year and had managed to learn enough stitches to do small projects like keychains, headbands, and belts. But beyond that, I couldn’t get myself to finish a project that took much longer than a day or two. So now, I’m left with a bin of yarn and projects that have been started and unfinished for months. 

What’s more, I can’t remember the last time I learned how to play a whole song on guitar. This has been a hobby of mine since middle school, but between classes and clubs, the acoustic Fender in the corner of my dorm has been collecting dust. 

And so for a large part of my time recently, I’ve been feeling disappointed by the fact that I don’t really find myself enjoying any of these things. I feel unmotivated, unproductive, and unlike myself. I’ve always enjoyed playing guitar and reading, and crocheting is so up my alley. 

But what I’m here to tell you (and myself) is that it’s okay to outgrow the things that once brought you insurmountable joy. Sometimes in the midst of college life and other things, hobbies can end up on the wayside — collecting dust along with my guitar. 

And while I’ve gotten back into the groove of some of these hobbies, (I finished a book over spring break!), others I simply haven’t. And that’s okay.

I think we all need to start appreciating the fact that the things that once served us no longer do, and that’s completely normal! 

If anything, it’s a testament to how you’ve changed and how you now have the opportunity to find new things that bring you even greater joy than those things once did. 

So maybe I don’t crochet as much, but maybe I’ll pick up watercolor painting or pottery. (What can I say? I love a good arts and craft activity!)

Changing is all a part of growing, and I think we can all do a better job of giving ourselves some grace by realizing that no one has it all figured out, and you shouldn’t have to either. Life is far too short to confine yourself to the things that you once loved doing. 

Because think about it, if you just do the same things you’ve always done, you’ll never find out if the perfect hobby is still out there waiting for you.

So, my dear reader, if you’re feeling like you’re not really into whatever hobby you’ve tied yourself down to, I implore you to acknowledge the change that’s occurred within yourself. Find something that properly reflects that growth and challenges you to keep moving forward.