Your Winter Challenge:
Pick up a New Hobby

Winter can be punishing. It's often cold, wet and windy outside. And even if the weather's not inhospitable, the days are short and we all seem to spend more time inside. But that also means that it's the perfect time to learn something new. Why not take up a hobby? Years ago, it wasn't unusual for men—even the busiest, most ambitious and successful men—to have a well-established hobby. Something that piqued their curiosity and was deemed worthy of their free time and attention. Unfortunately, many of us now spend our leisure time zoning out in front of a screen. The time passes faster than we realize as we stare at the TV, computer or the phone in our hand. So here's our challenge to you: Don't let the winter go by without bettering yourself by finding something you're interested in and developing that passion over the next few months. Looking for suggestions? Here are 10 popular options.

Learn an Instrument

Have an instrument you've always longed to play? Want to give up the air guitar (or seatbelt guitar) for the real thing? The guitar is actually an excellent instrument to learn because you can often find one on sale for relatively cheap, you can teach yourself the basics with a few YouTube clips and it can go anywhere you do.

Pursue a Language

Like a challenge? Use your free time to master a foreign language. Few hobbies are as useful as speaking another language. Why not attempt the language of a place to which you'd like to travel? Your local community college will offer courses for a reasonable price, or you can try an at-home method like Rosetta Stone or an app for your phone like Duolingo.

Experiment in the Kitchen

We've long said a man should know how to cook—for himself and for others. It saves you money over having to go out to eat or order in, it never fails to impress a date and it helps you stay healthy (ever read the nutrition information for pre-packaged or fast food?). Of course, this doesn't have to mean cooking either. Like sweets? Give baking a try (it's more a science than an art). Or experiment with pickling or fermenting your own kimchi.

Brew Some Beer

For any beer aficionado, homebrewing is an adventure in chemistry and physics that teaches you how to craft a product you want through trial and error, while helping you explore new and creative techniques. You can easily acquire the basic equipment needed and much of the startup knowledge can be found online for free. All you really need is time and some thirsty friends to be your testers during the process of technique refinement.

Get Serious About Fitness

Maybe you workout here and there. Maybe you try to eat well now and again. But challenge yourself this winter to put more effort into it. Consider your diet and make a proper meal plan. Or do your research to find out how you might accomplish your fitness goals and work up an exercise schedule. Invite a buddy to do the same in order to hold each other accountable.

Draw (or Paint) Something

An age-old creative outlet, drawing or painting has a ton of unexpected benefits. You cultivate confidence because art requires you to trust your instincts and let go of worrying about what other people think. All you need to get started is a pencil and some paper. You can always graduate to proper art pencils, charcoal and paint later. But this is a skill set that enhances your focus, perception and ability to discern patterns—all attributes worth cultivating.

Leatherworking

An old school, masculine craft that never really goes out of style, leatherworking teaches patience and the direct relationship between cause and effect. You work with your hands and can make a handful of handsome goods from wallets and belts to bags—hell, make a holster for your gun. One potential downside is the cost. This can be a pretty expensive hobby. You'll need to buy the leather and then all sorts of specialty tools to really do it well.

Build a Model

Want help with your focus issues or think you could be better at paying attention to details? Building model replicas of cars, planes and ships is the ideal hobby to hone these skills. You'll refine your eye for aesthetics and detail, plus most model builders find themselves inspired to learn more about the history of the things they're working on. And in the end, you'll have something interesting to put on your shelf or desk.

Read

We can't stress enough how vital it is for a man to be well-read. Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy were known to be voracious readers and so were most of the great men of history we admire. That's because reading connects us to great thinkers. Your world explodes when you allow yourself to go deeper into new worlds through a good novel or thoughtful non-fiction literature. It will make you more knowledgeable, more compassionate and empathetic while expanding your vocabulary as well.

TED Talks

We get it. Some people just aren't readers. Get much of the same benefits from curating a group of TED talks online. Find a quiet place to take them in and then get inspired from these brilliant speakers. Soon you'll be peppering conversations with a few interesting theories you heard. There's even a playlist of popular talks for when you want to start a new hobby.