We see the word hobby all the time. We see it in resumes, profile pages like Friendster, Mypace and Facebook. More often than not, we always see different things placed on this category. Things like sleeping, eating, going out with friends, and even studying are all classified under hobbies according to some people.

But what is a hobby really? Should you conform to social standards as to what hobbies should really be? Or will you decide to make it up as you go? Here are a few things that should help you out into deciding what you should really consider as a hobby or not.

1. A hobby is something you do for fun during your free time.

So you like to cook huh? Well, you could pretty much consider cooking to be a hobby. After all, who says you can't make a mean dish if you're just cooking cause it's your hobby? Hobbies do not necessarily have to be something that keeps you locked up in your room all by yourself for an undetermined number of hours. Fun, if you literally think about it, is anything that's enjoyable or pleasurable. So it doesn't matter if you like to cook or collect stamps. As long as you're happy, then go for it. Getting a hobby doesn't mean you don't have a social life. On the contrary, you might even have more friends you could meet through them.

2. A hobby is not an obsession.

Somewhere down the road, you've got to draw the line between your hobby remaining a hobby or having it develop into a completely different thing – an obsession or even possibly an addiction. You say playing computer games is a hobby of yours, but heck if you play games for more than 12 hours a day, don't you think that's kind of pushing a hobby too far? 12 hours is, well, a whole lot of time. Sure, a hobby is fun, but don't take things too seriously. You might forget to pay some attention on your other obligations like keeping money in the bank or putting some food on the table. After all, having your own hobby doesn't mean that you've got to give up whatever else it is that you do so you could spend more time playing World of Warcraft or whatever it is that you do to pass the time. Remember, there's only a fine line that separates a hobby from an addiction. Just search for Starcraft on youtube and you'll understand the point that we're getting at.

3. A hobby is something to pass the time.

Aside from it being something that entertains you and is pleasurable for you, you must always remember that a hobby is just a hobby. The moment you start letting it interfere with more important matters in your life, it's about time you put on the brakes and check if what you're doing is really the right thing. Once your hobby encroaches on your time for other things like work or social obligations, then it's about time you upgrade that from a hobby to something else.