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Ask Slashdot: What To Do With New Free Time?
An anonymous reader writes "After 25 years of doing IT (started as a PC technician and stayed on technical of IT work through out my career) I've been moved to a position of doing only on call work (but paid as if it is a normal 9-5 job). This leaves me with a lot of free time... As someone who's used to working 12+ hours a day + the odd night/weekend on call, I'm scared I'll lose my mind with all the new free time I'll have. Any suggestions (beyond develop hobbies, spend time with family) on how to deal with all the new free time?"
write apps, contribute to open projects, write a book and or books, volunteer with a non-profit. Or read reddit a lot and play starcraft or something. So many possibilities.
It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
get a library card, and learn about something you've always been interested in.
Has work so drained your soul that you have forgotten how to live?
When I am faced with similar problems, the first thing to do is go on slashdot and brag about it to all the people without my priviliges
All that free time would be well used if you could finally go on a date with a real woman...
Democracy is a sheep and two wolves deciding what to have for lunch. Freedom is a well armed sheep contesting the issue
Porn. Furious amounts of porn.
To say I wish I had your problem would be an understatement.
Use your skills (or learn new skills) to help people who can't pay you back.
I am a volunteer firefighter/EMT and the biggest joy is when the frail old lady you just helped thanks you. I'm sure you can find a number of places where you can make a difference.
Learn how to make electronic devices. It's never been easier to get started with this stuff than today. Start out with a breadboard, some transistors/resistors/capacitors/common IC types like the venerable 555, work with AVR or PIC microcontrollers, and perhaps work up to designing digital circuits in CPLD and FPGAs. You can even get four layer PCBs made in a factory for your projects in small runs.
Oolite: Elite-like game. For Mac, Linux and Windows
In the current job market it's always desirable to keep up one's skills. Learning a new language like Python or (if you haven't already) Java would be great. If your language skills are good contributing to an open source project is smart. Both of these document your continuing education. It's good to show you can benefit the company in multiple ways (or be prepared for another job if necessary).
not sure your job will still exists in 6 month...
Nice try boss.
I really don't have any free time.
(these aren't the droids you're looking for)
I'm totally swamped... really...
We have so much work, you shouldn't even begin to think of headcount reductions. But if you are, I hear Jimmy may have some free time...
I can't help but feel he is only asking us to show off.
Dear /.,
I want some advice. Every time I leave the house more women proposition me. It is getting difficult to find the time to spend with all these ladies. What should I do?
N. Joe Face
Check to see if your company has an educational program where they reimburse their employees for taking university courses. If so, see if you can sign up for a degree program (i.e. Masters in IT or an MBA). Taking 1 Masters level course at a time, while working, will eat up a lot of time, taking 2 will eat up most of it.
There are a lot of people on here who do not understand the value of university education, so don't let their opinions sway you if it's something that you would like to do. After all, if the company is paying for it, why not take advantage of the opportunity.
Because it's a question... and this is "Ask Slashdot".
Think about it. If I had to ask any community for advice on slacking, Slashdot has got to be the absolute optimum target.
Just be grateful this particular "Ask Slashdot" isn't asking us to engineer his sound system or solve his failing interpersonal relations at work.
Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
Learn shit.
Do shit.
- Zav - Imagine a Beowulf cluster of insensitive clods...
She ain't getting any younger.
William of Ockham had no beard. The most likely explanation is that it was chewed off by squirrels every morning.
A few friends of mine have recently switched jobs so they are working less time. Let me share something that has worked well for them: Make no plans for two weeks.
When you first find yourself with free time you may think you need to fill it up with a hobby or visiting people or getting a part-time job or starting a new project. Don't do that right away. Give yourself a few weeks where you daydream or consider options, but make no plans. Your body is in the habit of working and you will feel a drive to keep moving. Don't. Relax, let your mind and body adjust to your new schedule.
Eventually, two or three weeks into the new gig, you will probably find you naturally gravitate toward certain activities. Maybe you end up playing ball in the park or reading about history or you learn a new language or you start hanging out at the pub. Whatever it is, let it happen naturally. Don't go out into the world with a set plan, let yourself wander aimlessly for a few weeks and something will catch your interest.
If you only exercise your IT skills when called, you'll probably find yourself a lot less marketable if/when this new gig dries up.
Assuming you're on the verge of retirement, I'd work aggressively during this time to stay marketable.
When you say 'Any suggestions (beyond develop hobbies, spend time with family) on how to deal with all the new free time?', you're missing the point. Free time is all about hobbies and spending time with the family. It isn't about finding more work.
When I was, more or less, unemployed for ten months, I rode my bicycle. A lot: sometimes more than 200 miles a week. Lost 30 pounds. Felt great. By the time I had to go back to real work, I was in the best shape of my life, was relaxed and had spent wonderful amounts of time with my wife and kid. (Now I'm a fat slob again. But I'm making money. So, I've got that.)
Whatever you do, don't feel guilty about having free time. Don't try to fill your free time with more day-job-type work. You've done day-job-type work for 25 years and are, apparently, valuable enough that you don't have to do that 40 hours a week anymore.
Cheers,
Matt
Step 1: Get a bicycle.
Step 2: GTFO.
Seriously, get out there. I've so enjoyed cycling, exploring new places, taking pictures, getting kicked out of places I shouldn't be, etc.
Even better if you can find someone to do it with.
If he hasn't learned how to breath yet, then yes I'd say that would be a great place to start.
Not that I'm doing anything "useful" with my spare time in that sense, but I'm certainly enjoying it.
To me, this is very important. I've seen a few people around me who so got in the habit of always being busy at work, that they crammed what little free time they had with activities and hobbies as well. And I've been there myself. Of course, hobbies are fine, but I am a lot happier overall after I started "pissing away" (as I used to call it) some of my free time. Just doing whatever I feel like, which includes doing nothing at all except lying on the lawn with a beer, gazing up at the sky. A little down time for the brain, no distractions, calls, or tablets near at hand, helps me perform better at work as well.
If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
First, you have to realize that people are not paid to do nothing. Your situation is unique and very likely temporary. You have to consider the very real possibility that at some point in the near future process that lead to your unique arrangement will get optimized and you will be out of job or back at the desk doing 40+/week.
Time is money, and you were given a sizable gift, so your choices conceptually can be categorized into two categories - a) spend it b) invest it. Spending would be anything that you find enjoyable - this will be from browsing cat videos 10h/day, to learning new personal skill (language, music, mechanics, crafts). Investing would be anything that would make you more employable. Polish your skills, take couple coursera online classes, take community college course, study for and pass certification...
My personal suggestion is to not worry about this and just spend days playing computer games and browse cat videos. After all, it is all those other something-wrong-with-them people get fired, and it won't ever happen to you because "PEOPLE SKILLS!". Right?