And who knows…what starts as a diversion could grow into a passion and maybe even a whole new career. Dr. Kevin J. Eschleman of San Francisco State University recently published a study on how hobbies can improve your work performance. He describes how the people in his study felt about them: “They usually describe it as lush, as a deep experience that provides a lot of things for them. But they also talk about this idea of self-expression and an opportunity to really discover something about themselves.”