Lifestyle

What 15 Highly Successful People Do in Their Spare Time

by . January 13th, 2015

By Kate Wilson

Kate Wilson works at JetFeeds and writes about small business and marketing.


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Contrary to popular belief, life doesn’t end once you’ve reached success. You didn’t think that successful and famous people just sit in a closet until they’re ready for the next big project, did you? Highly successful individuals do, in fact, have hobbies and interests.

After all, our interests are what make up our character. They help us express our individuality physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. Hobbies help us unwind from the stresses of the day. They connect us to people we would never meet otherwise. Sometimes we forget that our heroes and celebrities have other interests aside from their career, too.

Here’s a list of 15 familiar stars and their hobbies.


1.) Jay-Z: Entrepreneurship, philanthropy


Aside from knowing the ins and outs of rap music, Jay-Z can be found hard at work in the business world. He’s the cofounder of Rocawear clothing, shares ownership of the Brooklyn Nets NBA team and of the 40/40 club.

He also donates his money to several good causes – In 2006, he raised over $250,000 for PlayPumps International by holding a concert in New York City.

 


2.) Will Smith: Rapping


That’s right, you probably remember his breakout hit “Switch” back in 2004. In fact, he’s released 4 solo albums since 1997. Before that, he collaborated with DJ Jazzy Jeff.

 


3.) Cameron Diaz: Snowboarding


According to Natives, Diaz says, “I love speed and adrenaline. Snowboarding is an amazing escape for me – riding from the top of the hill to the bottom without ever touching the ground is so exciting.” She’s broken several bones snowboarding though, including her nose and wrist.

 


4.) Kobe Bryant: Soccer


Most people would assume basketball is Kobe’s favorite sport. Wrong! He picked soccer over everything else. He grew up in Italy, and from age 6 to 14, he played soccer almost every day. He frequently attends matches and isn’t opposed to showing off his skills, either.

 


5.) Madonna: Yoga, writing


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Image source:  Jean Henrique Wichinoski
She once claimed she could be a member of Cirque du Soleil if she really wanted. She’s also written several children’s books, including The English Roses and Mr. Peabody’s Apples.


6.) Jerry Seinfeld: Collecting Porsches


It’s reported that his collection is worth about $15 million – and he likes to keep it secret. It’s estimated that he has 46 cars, but we might never know how many! He even rented a hangar at the Santa Monica Airport during the 1990’s to store some of the Porsches.

 


7.) Maria Sharapova: Stamp collecting


The Wimbledon champion is leading a new wave of stamp collectors. She said to the London Evening Standard, “I always try to collect stamps from every place I go. I am hoping one day that I will be able to hand my collection over to my kids.”

 


8.) Judge Judy Sheindlin: Boating


She has her own yacht, called “Triumphant Lady.” It’s 152 feet long and it can house 14 people comfortably in 5 cabins.

 


9.) Howard Stern: Politics


He’s so into politics that in 1994, he created a five-month political campaign for the election to be Governor of New York. Among his goals, he aimed to reinstate the death penalty, improve traffic flow by rearranging tolls, and make road work at night instead of daytime.

 


10.) Nicolas Cage: Buying castles


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Image source:  onnola
He bought and later sold both Schloss Neidstein castle in the Oberpfalz region in Germany, and Midford Castle in Somerset. His reasoning? He has German ancestry.

 


11.) Gwen Stefani: Fashion


The No Doubt singer started her own clothing line in her kitchen, which grew to be a global business. The Line is called Love Angel Music Baby, or L.A.M.B. for short.

 


12.) Alicia Keys: Classical music


Her favorite composers are Chopin, Beethoven, and Mozart. She studied classical piano since she was 7. When she was 12, she enrolled in the Professional Performing Arts School majoring in choir.

 


13.) Sarah Jessica Parker: Knitting


As soon as a movie shooting stops, Sarah knits off-set. Her ‘Sex and the City’ co-star Kristin Davis taught her how to knit, and Sarah has apparently taught a lot of her friends.

 


14.) Jon Stewart: Crossword puzzles


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 Image source:  ansydupiton.com
He loves them so much that in 2000, with the help of NY Times crossword editor Will Shortz, Jon used a personalized crossword puzzle to propose to his wife.

 


15.) Gordon Ramsay: Football


Although he believes he was doomed to fail at football, Ramsay had a trial with Rangers, the club he loved as a child, in 1984. He seriously injured his knee, and he could no longer play. At least he’s recognized for his other passion, cooking.

 

 Love this article? Hate it?  What habits that actually make you successful can you share? Tell us in the comments below!


About the author


Kate-WilsonSome might call me a digital wordsmith.  Okay, I might call me a digital wordsmith.  I write things on the internet to motivate people to be the best version of themselves.  Follow me on Twitter @kateowilson for more on writing and inspirational words of wisdom.

 

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