<\/p>\n\n\n\n By Hillary Hoffower and Marguerite Ward<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The most successful people know there is more to life than simply eating, sleeping, and working \u2014 it\u2019s about enjoying life, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right now, amid the coronavirus pandemic, you might find yourself social distancing and with a lot more time on your hands. If so, now\u2019s a great time to take up a hobby, something that can not only help relieve stress, but can even help make you more successful<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Playing a musical instrument<\/a>, for example, can stimulate your creativity, analytical skills, and fine motor skills. Reading can boost different types of intelligence and exercising can help with mental acuity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Warren Buffett plays the ukulele while other take up different creative hobbies, like George W. Bush\u2019s affinity for painting. Others enjoy hobbies that require more thinking and strategy: Richard Branson plays chess, Bill Gates plays bridge, and Condoleeza Rice plays golf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a little inspiration, here are the hobbies of 22 highly successful people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Branson is well-known for his adventurous side, and you\u2019ve likely seen many a photo of the Virgin Group founder kitesurfing and hanging out on the high seas. But perhaps his favorite hobby is far more of a mental activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think chess may just be the best game in the world,\u201d he writes on Virgin\u2019s blog<\/a>. \u201cIt combines the greatest aspects of many different sports \u2014 tactics, planning, bravery, and risk-taking \u2014 plus you can have a cup of tea and often a stimulating conversation while you play!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Branson says he\u2019s likely played thousands of games in his lifetime, and he tells The Telegraph<\/a> afternoons on Necker Island are always spent on the beach, oftentimes playing chess with his kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai is a big cricket fan<\/a>. He played the sport in high school and still likes to play a pickup game every now and then, Business Insider<\/a> previously reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In his spare time, he also likes to pick up new skills from YouTube (an Alphabet company). For example, he told The Verge<\/a> that he recently picked up pizza making, learning how to make the food from scratch online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gates has a few hobbies that he considers<\/a> \u201cold-fashioned,\u201d and the billionaire tells Reddit<\/a> he is an \u201cavid bridge player.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He also loves playing tennis, and considers<\/a> spending time with his kids a favorite pastime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2011, when Dorsey was running Twitter and Square full-time for the first time, the cofounder told the audience at Techonomy 2011<\/a> that, to get it all done, he gave each day a theme. This allowed him to quickly recall and refocus on the day\u2019s task once distractions were out of the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dorsey said he would dedicate his Saturdays to hiking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The award-winning actress says she loves to knit<\/a>\uff0c \u548c she\u2019s even said to have<\/a> hand-knitted the shawl she wore in the movie \u201cDoubt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Streep admits that she spends much of her time on set knitting<\/a> and finds the hobby to be therapeutic: \u201cFor me it was a place to gather my thoughts and understand the contemplative (life) \u2026 it\u2019s a sort of clearing out place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, tons of celebrities<\/a>, especially actors who have plenty of time to kill on set between takes, love to spend their free time knitting. The list<\/a> includes Julia Roberts, Ryan Gosling, and Christina Hendricks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In recent years, adult coloring books have taken the world by storm, with titles like Johanna Basford\u2019s \u201cSecret Garden\u201d topping Amazon\u2019s bestselling books list<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to her husband<\/a>, Prince William, even the the Duchess of Cambridge is susceptible to the allure of coloring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Proponents for the emerging trend suggest coloring as an alternative<\/a> to meditation and mindfulness practices, saying the practice can help<\/a> reduce stress and organize one\u2019s thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It turns out that the former US President is also a prolific painter, having painted more than 50 puppies<\/a>, numerous landscapes, and at least 30 world leaders<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bush took up painting<\/a> after leaving office in 2009 and spent a month in Florida<\/a> learning the art from a Georgia-based painter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Business Insider\u2019s Rich Feloni reported<\/a>, the Bridgewater Associates founder has said the practice of Transcendental Meditation is \u201cthe single biggest influence\u201d on his life<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dalio began practicing Transcendental Meditation<\/a> in 1969 as a college student after seeing the Beatles\u2019s fascination with it. Since then, Dalio has brought the practice to his employees, and waves of Wall Street bankers and investors are signing up for lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Business Insider previously reported<\/a>, the actor and filmmaker has been collecting vintage typewriters since 1978, and he uses one every day because he loves the sound, feeling, and permanence that comes with typing on one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEverything you type on a typewriter sounds grand, the words forming in mini-explosions of SHOOK SHOOK SHOOK. A thank-you note resonates with the same heft as a literary masterpiece,\u201d Hanks writes for The New York Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In his spare time, the Google cofounder likes to push his body to the limit in any way he can<\/a>. This includes roller hockey, ultimate Frisbee, gymnastics, skydiving, and high-flying trapeze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The former Yahoo CEO told San Francisco magazine<\/a> that she\u2019s always loved baking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think it\u2019s because I\u2019m very scientific. The best cooks are chemists,\u201d she says. She takes a practical approach to her baking, and has created spreadsheets analyzing cupcake and frosting recipes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy hobbies actually make me better at work,\u201d she says. \u201cThey help me come up with new and innovative ways of looking at things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apparently Segway polo is a thing, and the Apple cofounder is the namesake<\/a> of one of the sport\u2019s major world tournaments, Woz Challenge Cup, the World Cup of Segway polo. The game is played in four quarters, and five players on each team try to get a rubber ball past the opponent\u2019s goalie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSegway polo is the one thing I will block off my calendar for,\u201d Wozniak tells Quartz<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u201cProject Runway\u201d cohost and mentor told The New York Times<\/a> that he spends every Sunday at the Metropolitan Museum \u2014 \u201cI stay there basically until the museum is about to close.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He dons a suit \u2014 \u201cI want to prepare myself properly\u201d \u2014 and walks through Central Park to get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m a huge lover of art,\u201d he explained. \u201cI go to the Greek and Roman galleries first. I\u2019ll choose different objects to fixate upon. A trip to the Met can be very emotional. There are paintings there that just lift me off the ground. I feel buoyant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He then heads to the Balcony Lounge for a glass or two of wine and tea sandwiches and pulls out his iPad to research what he\u2019s just seen. \u201cI have become insatiable on the topic of ancient Rome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Forbes<\/a>, the Berkshire Hathaway CEO\u2019s love for the ukulele spans decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Buffett often uses his musical talent for good and has donated instruments and lessons to children\u2019s clubs in Omaha and given performances<\/a> for charity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As previously reported on Business Insider<\/a>, Jolie is another Hollywood actor with a unique hobby: She collects knives with her family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jolie tells W Magazine<\/a> that her mom introduced her to daggers when she was a kid, and that she has passed this hobby on to her son, Maddox. She says the knife blades she gives him are dulled so he can\u2019t hurt himself, and that their dagger purchases are always \u201caccompanied by discussions about violence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In another interview with Conan O\u2019Brien<\/a>, Jolie shows off her skills with a butterfly knife and explains that her fascination with weapons comes from the history behind them: \u201cThere\u2019s just something beautiful about them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Charlie Rose interviewed<\/a> the Oracle CTO and former CEO about his love for winning America\u2019s Cup yacht race, Ellison replied<\/a>, \u201cI don\u2019t smoke, but I do sail.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Business Insider previously reported<\/a>, Ellison took a sailing course shortly after moving to California in 1966 at the age of 22, and by 25 he owned his first boat, a 34-foot-long racing sloop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Winfrey\u2019s not working, she\u2019s reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNothing, not one thing or activity, can replace the experience of a good read \u2014 being transported to a different land, a different realm, through words and language,\u201d she wrote<\/a> on her website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She also spends time curating her famous \u201cOprah Book Club,\u201d which has helped books reach bestselling status<\/a> in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The former first lady previously said in a chat<\/a> that one of her hobbies is exercising \u201cjust to keep moving.\u201d She\u2019s even known to wake up at 4:30 a.m. to hit the treadmill for a run, according to The New York Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s not surprising considering her \u201cLet\u2019s Move!\u201d<\/a> public health campaign, which aimed to promote healthy living among kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna Wintour reportedly wakes up at 5 a.m.<\/a> to hit the tennis court before heading into the Vogue offices. She takes lessons at the Midtown Tennis Club in Manhattan, according to The Cut<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She\u2019s even left fashion week early to attend tennis matches and is a regular attendee at the US Open, Wimbledon Championship, and French Open tournaments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She\u2019s also friends with Roger Federer, according to Fashionista<\/a>. Karl Lagerfeld reportedly built a tennis court<\/a> on his property to convince her to visit the French coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an interview with Vogue<\/a>, Kidman said of her life in Tennessee: \u201cWe have a farm there, and I have an organic vegetable garden. This is a path I\u2019d not taken before. My mum\u2019s always gardened. My sister gardens. And I\u2019ve now conformed to the Kidman women\u2019s hobby of gardening. And it is just a hobby.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In July, she shared a photo on Instagram of her homegrown roses with the caption, \u201cLast of my homegrown roses this summer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The former Secretary of State picked up golf at the age of 50 when her cousin\u2019s husband gave her golfing lessons on the range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s actually also a thinking-person\u2019s game,\u201d Rice told Golf Digest<\/a>. \u201cI find that I enjoy walking from shot to shot and deciding how I\u2019m going to get out of this or that trouble. I just enjoy the strategy of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n CEO of Goldman Sachs David Solomon goes by D-Sol at night when he\u2019s pursuing his side hobby as a DJ<\/a> at clubs around Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Hamptons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen people started seeing I had this hobby and was into music, a 24 year-old analyst would say \u2018Hey David, I saw your post on this and I heard your track,\u2019\u201d he said during a panel for Fortune\u2019s Most Powerful Women Summit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey want to connect with you, talk about how they got to the firm. It\u2019s about being human and opening yourself up. We all used to keep our private lives so separated from what we were doing in business and that\u2019s changed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He\u2019s also said that finding and exploring a passion is crucial to longevity<\/a> in a career known for grinding people down and burning them out with its long hours and endless travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Former](\"https:\/\/miro.medium.com\/max\/2000\/1*R6cYi7ipUEVVcIgbyoCbMg.jpeg\")
Richard Branson plays chess<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Sundar Pichai watches and plays cricket<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Bill Gates plays bridge<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Jack Dorsey hikes<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Meryl Streep knits<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Kate Middleton colors<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
George W. Bush paints<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Ray Dalio practices Transcendental Meditation<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Tom Hanks collects vintage typewriters<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Sergey Brin is an adrenaline junkie<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Marissa Mayer bakes<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Steve Wozniak plays polo \u2026 on a Segway<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Tim Gunn soaks up art<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Warren Buffet plays the ukulele<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Angelina Jolie collects weapons<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Larry Ellison sails<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Oprah Winfrey reads<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Michelle Obama runs<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Anna Wintour plays tennis<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Nicole Kidman gardens<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Condoleeza Rice golfs<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
David Solomon DJs<\/h1>\n\n\n\n