Laid off? What are You Doing w/ Your Newfound Freedom?

dmorin asks: "Like many of you I'm recently laid off. So as I wake up every morning wondering what to do with my day I got to thinking, how everybody else is handling the new found free time? My original idea, that I would simply spend all my time working on my own software projects in order to learn new skills, went out the window when I realized that I'd burn out far too fast if I thought that the most important thing in life. My wife is working part time so I have at least 3 days a week to take care of my 10month old daughter, time that I would not have had if I was still employed. I'm doing my share of the chores around the house, not just taking care of the lawn but also doing groceries, laundry and so on. As for geeky stuff, I play with projects and technologies because they are fun, not because I think they will make me more marketable. I put away my "personal Java portal" and lately am playing with voice synthesis on my Zaurus just because I think it's cool. So how about everybody else? What are you doing with this new free time that's been forced upon you? How much of it are you using to job search? How much is 'honey do' list, how much is just free play time? Disclaimer: I'm researching an idea for a possible book. Not planning to quote anybody without their permission, just looking to hear what people are up to."

Comments

Re:Look for work

[Red Warrior]

Making it a full time job means taking it as seriously as you take/took a "real" job (assuming that you take a real job seriously, that is).
It's a research, planning, and marketing job, btw.
Research what you want to do, and who/what could hire you to do it. Whether or not they have an ad in the newspaper/job site or not. Know about that employer in detail BEFORE you go for the interview. Before you apply, if feasable.
Develop and follow a plan to make sure you leave no stone unturned, no lead left unfollowed, no assistance left unthanked.
Market yourself as the candidate to scratch that employer's itch.

And excellent resource is (any year's) What color is your parachute? It can be ordered through Amazon Done well, a job search is EASILY a 60+ hour a week job. AND a hard job at that. But it's your future you're working on.
Oh, and as another poster replied, you're up, shaved, and dressed (professional) before 8 AM, though I'd say 6:30.