I hope all of you had a productive Veterans Day. For me, a friend of mine invited me to go watch an NBA game at the hallowed Staples Center, home of the world champion Los Angeles Lakers, out of the blue. The problem is we were going to watch the Los Angeles Clippers play the Oklahoma City Thunder. Not exactly a desirable matchup, but a free game is a free game and I wasn’t about to let this golden opportunity pass me up. With injuries plaguing the Clippers, I wasn’t too surprised when they fell apart in the fourth quarter due to their slackening on defense and jump shots characteristically clanging off the iron. It’s just the Clippers being the Clippers, right?

Now if you even just casually follow professional basketball, you’ll know that the Los Angeles Clippers are the ‘other’ basketball team in Los Angeles; the illegitimate half-brother of the Los Angeles Lakers that prefers Walmart to Melrose. The year that the Lakers finally ascended to the pinnacle of professional basketball achievement by winning the NBA championship, the Clippers tallied a record of 19-63, attained an overall number one draft pick via lottery and pretty much quietly concluded another humdrum, typically Clipperesque season.

So what am I trying to get at? The Clippers are bad. That’s already pretty much a given. But do the players expect themselves to be bad? There has been a culture of failure associated with the Clippers organization for so long. Is there an expectation to underperform once you’ve inked your contract? Of course not. Even when situations become blasé, there is still reason to hope.

1. The past is history. If you want to succeed at anything in life, you have to disassociate yourself from the past. Neither your past failures nor your past successes define who you are at the moment. Your failures were a learning experience, a stepping stone on your way to future success. Some people have more stepping stones than others, but it’s not about how many you have; it’s about your persistence in continuing on and accomplishing your goals in the end.

2. There’s hope for the future. You aren’t the person you once were. You’ve really come a long way, even though to you it might seem almost imperceptible. You might still have a long way to go but you have less of a distance to travel today than you did yesterday. So consider the future with a hopeful attitude. Your day will come so don’t give up!

What does this have to do with the Los Angeles Clippers? Not much, except if they’ve still got hope and are still showing up for professional basketball games, then you have no reason to not show up in life. They might be bruised, battered and at times look sloppy as a D2 college team playing summer ball, but they’re not playing because they expect to lose, and with the future resting on the shoulders of young studs like Blake Griffin, Al Thornton and Eric Gordon, mark my words, the Los Angeles Clippers are definitely in for better days.

After graduating college, it’s more than worthwhile to take up a fun and exciting hobby. A good hobby will keep the transitional stress you experience after graduation mostly at bay, and doing something exhilarating that doesn’t require sitting in front of a computer/excel/intense labor will help keep you sane. With that being said, here are ten worthwhile hobbies to pursue after graduating college.

1. Martial Arts. Good exercise, increased fighting ability. It really doesn’t matter which particular form of fighting you pursue, because if you are like most people, you’ll never actually have to use anything that you learn. Still, something about beating the crap out of a punching bag, or sparring with other members in the class is so invigorating.
2. Yoga. Good exercise again, and a great place to meet women. If you’re a female reading this, then it’s a great place to get those curves that you’ve always wanted (or maybe meet a guy). Whether it is to stalk, or be stalked, Yoga will get you fit, in shape, and hopefully, a date.
3. Learn a new instrument. Since I’ve graduated college, I’ve picked up drums (which I highly recommend!) and piano. Although I don’t have as much time as I would like to practice, it’s still pretty fun to pretend to bang the crap out of the drum set every time I see one. Who knows, maybe one of these days, my amazing piano ability (it’s really not that amazing except in my own head) will catapult me to instant Youtube stardom.
4. Play a sport. I personally play basketball and tennis, and enjoy both. The popular professional sport seems to be golf, and honestly, if you want to go into the field of business, golf is almost a necessity. Being competent at golf will go a long way in helping you get that promotion you’ve always wanted. Impressing your boss at work is just a hole-in-one away.
5. Go surfing. Other than the fear of getting eaten by a shark (which would suck), surfing is definitely a wonderful experience. Very few things in life are more peaceful than grabbing your board, wading out a bit into the ocean, and just coasting peacefully on your board. When you actually learn how to catch a wave, it is one of the most thrilling experiences you will have.
6. Go hiking. Nature is straight up beautiful. Haven’t you seen Planet Earth? Taking up something like hiking gives you the opportunity to really enjoy the tranquility and aesthetic pleasure that nature has to offer. Try out new spots each week, and take a friend or two along for the ride.  
7. Take dancing classes. I have two left feet, and at times struggle with my dancing skills. I really want to take dancing classes—I have yet to get around to this hobby myself. If you ever have the desire to go clubbing, being a competent dancer is definitely worthwhile. Otherwise, you will just make a fool out of yourself. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing?
8. Watch movies/television shows. It’s not going to be the best way to stay connected with the world, but it is definitely stress relieving. Partaking in the fictional world someone else has created definitely helps you forget about the real world that you live in. All the work that you have piled up means nothing for at least the thirty minutes to two hours that you are watching your movie/show.
9. Play a Video Game. Same principle applies as above. If you enjoy the idea of teleporting to a fictional world, a video game is a good and fun choice. The problem is moderation. It’s very hard to moderate how long you play, especially if you take up something like World of Warcraft. If you want a solid social life, playing a video game not the best idea. Unless you want an online social network. Which, in that case, is totally fine.
10. Travel a bit! There is so much to see and experience in this world! Don’t let your office be the only thing you see year round! Take those sick days and go on an adventure. If you’re a teacher, block out your summers and have amazing experiences all over the world.

Hobbies are an excellent way to keep you involved with a component of life outside of your work experience. Go out and enjoy all that life has to offer. This will help keep you sane and motivated! My last bit of advice: just do it.

Any other hobby suggestions?