If you didn’t have to work what would you do with your life?

[mbcdefg]

Idk- I could list a bunch of things like work out and volunteer, but I’m a lazy person and I know I probably wouldn’t do them.

If I had unlimited time and sufficient funds, I’d like to travel. A small kid and three pets makes that pretty difficult, though. And if MH had/chose to keep his job then that wouldn’t work at all.

I WFH and when I’m not actually working I spend the day doing laundry, dishes, prepping dinner, and doing a very basic tidying up. And DD is at daycare during the day so I imagine we’d pull her out if I no longer had a job.

For the time being, I don’t think I’d enjoy not having a job. Cutting back to something very part time, or freelance, would be nice, though.

[followyourarrow]

I'd do archery professionally, compete all the time, do the international tournaments. I'd coach when I was home.

I'd foster kittens.

Read all the books.

[ohgillian]

I feel so boring saying that I really like working. Maybe I'm not imaginative. But I really like the structure of having a job.

[niq]

Jan 28, 2020 20:47:29 GMT -5 Susie said:

I would train for an Ironman.

I plan to do it someday, just not now while I'm juggling tiny kids and a career.

Same. I'd probably get some sort of group fitness instructor or personal trainer certification and do that part time, too.

Susie I have said to myself "maybe this is the year life will get back to normal and I can get back to endurance sports" for THREE YEARS now. And just a marathon, not a half ironman or olympic tri.

[fernweh]

Spend more time on my fitness, read more books and spend time volunteering with the animal rescues we got our pups with.

[iheartbanjos]

I had a high earning, high stress sales job and I quit almost 18 months ago. I became a barre instructor and teach 5-8 classes a week. I work out 1-2 times a day during the week, keep the house up, cook elaborate meals, and do a ton of volunteering at my girls’ school. I also get together with girl friends for lunch, but really only 2-4x month, and for coffee about the same frequency.

I’m not sure I’m retired for good-I’m on Linked In and get contacted by recruiters daily right now since it’s early in the year, but man, I’m enjoying it and I’m definitely never bored.

I will say, though, that I have girlfriends with messy, disorganized houses that are constantly scatterbrained, bored, and unhappy. It’s not for everyone!

[Gato]

Your situation was almost exactly like mine at 39, sweetiesparkles.  


@@@@

I did quit my job that year, and my MFA writing program, to have my first child.  Those first few years with her were really wonderful; she was an easy baby who slept a lot.  I wanted to write on my own, and I wrote three (as yet unpublished) novels.  Then we moved to a new state, where I didn't know anyone, had another kid, who NEVER slept and ALWAYS cried.  But I've kept writing and reading, doing yoga, and making music on the side--just not as much as I used to.  Eventually, we moved to my favorite place in the world and my kids started going to school full time.  Life is pretty sweet at the moment.  I have never regretted quitting and being a SAHM.  

[ellipses84]

I love my career but it’s REALLY stressful. If I could quit, I’d probably freelance and be picky about what projects I took on. Anything I did would be in the creative realm. I have a huge bucket list and a lot are creative projects that have nothing to do with my profession, like write a book. I think I’d struggle with my identity if I didn’t do something like that. Id do more with my hobbies like photography. I’d love to be a travel agent/blogger because I’m always giving people travel advice and like finding attractions off the beaten path. I’d definitely do more volunteer work and activism for things I care about. I’d take better care of myself and my health. I’d buy a house and DIY renovate although I plan to do that someday anyways. It would go way faster without a job.

M ommyshortsquad on IG recently featured quotes from women who started over like this later in life and it was really inspirational to hear of people doing what a lot of us dream of doing.

I’m the primary breadwinner so I’ll continue to be a workaholic and put all my creativity into that, though....can you tell I’ve thought about this? 😂 it’s hard to juggle it all and I want to spend more time with my family.

[protozoa]

Oh man I think about this a lot. Sleep more, get outside and exercise more, cook, keep up with my appearance better (hair, nails), keep my house organized. Sadly if one of the two of us is going to step back/out of the workforce early, it makes much more sense for it to be DH.

[farfalla2011]

I would totally be a SAHM with my little guy. I go back to work next week after 4.5 months of leave and am dreading it. It totally breaks my heart that I will start missing his firsts. I'd also actually meal plan, keep my house more in order than I do while working and just have the energy to be present and better connected in our community.

[rubytuesday]

I don't have to work. I've been pondering this lately. The kids are in school FT. I've fostered kittens and I love that but it makes my kids wheeze. I'm on the board of the PTO and I'm sooo done with it. There's so much cattiness. I don't know what to do with myself really. I'm lost. I know I don't want a desk job. That's about all I know.

[twilightmv]

Write, ice skate, do yoga, decorate my house, plan vacations, make awesome friends.
I have kids so I’d also volunteer at their school and go on their trips, etc.

[insominac]

Well I quit my job in December to stay at home with my now six month old. Not the most glamorous life, but it’s pretty nice ❤️

[statgirl]

I’m a professor. If I didn’t “have” to work, I might just adjunct and ask to teach only my favorite classes. I would read and knit for fun. I would volunteer at local schools that are disadvantaged (aka, not my kids school where they have enough volunteers, but the one I volunteered at last year until my schedule went wacky this year). I would cook more. Maybe lose a few pounds...or exercise with all my SAHM friends.

[RockNVoll]

Feb 4, 2020 18:14:16 GMT -5 insominac said:

Well I quit my job in December to stay at home with my now six month old. Not the most glamorous life, but it’s pretty nice ❤️

Congratulations on your little one!

[oswin]

I'm a huge believer in taking a substantial break from employment or at least full-time. Some of my friends call it "fun-employment". I took a break when my second kid was about a year old - I was so burned out at my job, and we could survive on DH's salary while keeping the kids in daycare (it wouldn't have been a break if we kept them home). I got my CrossFit level 1 and coached a few classes a week for about 6 months before finding a new job with a startup. It was an interesting time, because I spent about half of my day at the gym, either coaching or working out, but then I'd get home and be exhausted and not want to do all of the household chores that fell to me because I wasn't working. The gym was fun, chores suck. And then of course time with the kids, which during that phase was quite difficult (toddler and not quite 3yo). I definitely enjoyed the time not working a desk job, but I wasn't totally satisfied with what I was doing either. Coaching was fun but I was only making like $10-15/class (plus a free membership to the competitors program) so it was hard to justify staying.

Currently I'm pretty satisfied with my job, so I'm not in a huge rush to quit. And my job is fulfilling, because I believe in my company's mission (which isn't super common in tech). But if money was no factor, I'd probably try to negotiate part-time work at my current company, something like 4 6 hour days. Then I'd be able to just fit more in, like spending time with DD when she gets home from school (she takes the bus home from kindergarten), not being as rushed to cook dinner, etc.

[wildrice]

If H and I both didn't have to work, I would want to travel the world - not just taking vacations, but actually live places for months at a time. I'm picturing using a city as a base and then taking weekend or week long trips to other nearby places. Really get to know an area and feel like I fully experienced it, then eventually move onto the next country or region. I would think this doesn't necessarily need to cost a lot, because many of the places I'd love to do this are pretty LCOL and in theory we could just not have a permanent home so we wouldn't be paying for trips on top of our usual housing payment. Another option would be to live in one place, but be a travel guide or writer (my writing isn't quite as strong as my teaching, so probably guide is a better fit).

I am really not sure what I'd want to do if I quit my job but my H worked and we still lived where we do now. I like to think I'd volunteer and work out a lot, and I'm sure I'd do it more, but I'd probably also get really lazy. I would likely read and watch a lot of TV. I am not sure what retirement realistically looks like for me, but I know currently it's probably better for me to work at least part time - I need the structure of having to be somewhere that I've committed to. I don't have kids or sick family to care for, so there really just isn't enough stuff that needs taken care of for me to be able to fill my days. Though I suppose I could find volunteer commitments that I had to show up for that I was passionate about, the part time work wouldn't necessarily need to be paid. I can see myself at animal shelters, at the zoo, or volunteering with social justice organizations and that taking up a good chunk of my spare time.

[wanderingback]

I'd still provide abortion care 1-2 days a week as needed. I don't think I'll ever give that up until I'm physically not able to.
Continue advocacy work as it came.
Then, would be free to travel the world with my SO while he's on tour & doing projects.
Of course I would continue volunteer stuff and working out like I do now.

[Nonny]

When I left the work force 5 years I had lots of grand plans: exercise 3-5 times per week, learn a new language, write a book, do volunteer work. But it turns out I'm not a particularly motivated self starter.

That's not to say I've done nothing. My house is presentable most of the time, I've become a much better cook, I'm the President of my local library's friends group, and I've joined a writing group even as I've barely made a dent in any of my book writing.  However, I'm also on level 6170 of Candy Crush, so... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[imojoebunny]

I haven't worked in 13 years. I am about to go to my bowling club. I used to be involved in leadership of several civic organizations, as well as, the kids schools. Now, I just rando volunteer when it suits me, walk the dogs a lot, enjoy our lives. I don't even cook, except on weekends, clean, or do much yard work. We are going to the mountains for the weekend, and I am taking the kids on a trip to another town to explore for a couple of days next week for their winter break. Some days are long, but most are good, and I do not miss having to show up at an office every day. My DH retires next year, and I will have his help at home, I try to think of what I will do differently, and the answer is not much. A lot of things I would consider doing require nights and weekends, and at this point in my kids lives, I want to be home at those times, even though they are able to be home alone now. I am a good friend and a loving wife. When the kids are gone, I might find some ways to make a difference in the wider world, but for now, what I am doing, generally being a soft place to land, providing a comfortable habitat for my kids and their friends, being the person, you know you can count on, and learning about things that interest me is enough.