A friend of mine just graduated from university and is contemplating whether to take a gap year to explore new interests or apply for a job straight away. I advised her to take a year off if she can, telling her how my gap year and the chance to try new things helped me a lot in my business.
When I graduated from university, I already knew I wanted to work in the communication and marketing field. It had been my passion since I was a child, but I also wanted to find out what else interested me. So I signed up for different classes and workshops – one in oil painting with a renowned Chinese artist, another in French linguistic skills. I also tried a sewing class, completed a make-up artist certification and took a two-month photography course with a famous Emirati photographer.
Some friends were puzzled by how I chose to fill my time. They assumed I was easily bored or had gone mad – jumping from one thing to the next.
Now when they look back, they agree that all of those different interests helped me become the businesswoman that I am today. Oil painting classes helped me appreciate the artistic process, and expanded my knowledge about colour, light and composition. Now when I work with different artists for my business, I am not lost in translation when they discuss their work. More so, I discovered that I was an artist myself. The same goes for photography. I know what makes a great image and how to take a good picture, which helps my business as I now work with digital and visual artists.
Sewing, meanwhile, helped me appreciate the finer details and how to pay extra attention to different aspects of my work. If you do not hold the fabric correctly or do not cut it straight, you could lose a nice piece of fabric. My make-up certification class made me appreciate people’s differences, and though one project may work for one entity, it may give off the wrong kind of message for another business.
Once I started my business, I continued to try new things – it’s almost an addiction for me. A few years ago I learnt how to shoot a rifle, and after two years of practising three times a week I became a professional. Learning how to shoot and the patience you need to aim at your target, taught me self-control, patience and, most importantly, how to relieve stress and not let it build up until it affects my productivity.
What if you are in your mid-twenties, and you already have a business and a job that you cannot afford to quit to enjoy a gap year? I would still encourage exploring different interests, even if they have nothing to do with your career.
Research by professor Adam Grant from the Wharton School of business reveals that there is a link between intrinsic motivation and thinking outside the box; how when you are engaged in a hobby you enjoy, you could be inspired to find solutions to any problems. Personally, it is when I am swimming or horse riding, that great ideas come to me that help the projects I manage.
Hobbies can also expand your network and introduce you to people from different fields. It definitely boosted my social skills, as well as introduced me to clients I never imagined I would meet in an environment that was casual and comfortable.
Trying new things can also inspire new business ideas that would not have been possible otherwise. Steve Jobs attended a calligraphy class that later became a huge influence on Apple. Jobs credited his instructor for teaching him about typefaces.
So even if you do not have time to take a gap year, dedicate your free time to learning new things. Perhaps you could pick a book in a topic you wouldn’t necessarily choose, or take up a new sport. The idea is to keep exploring. Not only will it give your mind a break, and expand your social circle, but one class could inspire a new product or influence you to start a multibillion dollar business.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer who manages a branding and marketing consultancy in Abu Dhabi. Twitter: @manar_alhinai.
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