New Year - Things to do while I'm unemployed

[inulro]

Add me to the ranks of people who don't make NY resolutions but find it a good time to take stock and draw up goals for the coming year.

This year's kinda weird. Major goal (quitting job) has been accomplished. I'm not sure where I'm going work-wise from here, and the whole point of having time off is to figure that out.

The important thing is to not fall into the trap of being an Unemployed Person (you know, "I can't do X today, I've already done Y", where Y is something trivial like buying a few groceries or washing your hair), or to get depressed. To that end, rule no. 1 is going to be: get dressed and leave the house every day. Going across the road to the newsagent and put stuff in the mailbox does not count. There will also be some rule about what times and under what circumstances the TV can be turned on.

I've got lots around here to keep me busy. In no particular order:
(This list is mostly for my reference, but also if I make it public I might feel more obliged to live up to it)

- finish all the half-done DIY jobs in the house and turn my computer room into a nice room rather than a place we dump junk
- sell all the shoes I can't wear any more (this takes care of a good deal of the junk above)
- work on garden if the weather isn't too bad
- work on French and Spanish
- work on half finished craft projects; learn to knit
- keep in touch with people more consistently
- read more
- log my books with Library Thing

And that's not even getting into researching possible avenues of work (paid and unpaid) and writing to my elected representatives. Lots. If all goes as planned, my MP will hate me after two weeks.

There's lots of other things I'd like to do, but I have to walk the delicate balancing act between Doing Stuff and not burning through my savings account in the first month.

Suggestions are welcome, especially for Doing Stuff that doesn't cost money.

Comments

[sarah-mum.livejournal.com]

Having a plan is good, especially one which involved getting out and clearng some headspace/ exercising new area.
However, a word of warning - do not become so busy that you don't have time for a new job or indeed for jobhunting.

Do visit your jobcentre. Although I'm sure you can't get benefits, but you can still get advice and careers counselling in some form. I found that although it wasn't as directly helpful as they intended,it did focus my mind on what I wanted, what was practical and what had to be eliminated as unfeasible.

[inulro.livejournal.com]

do not become so busy that you don't have time for a new job or indeed for jobhunting.

Heh. I looked at the list and that occurred to me. However, I really need to spend the month of February taking time off and clearing my head (and hopefully getting rid of the headaches) without becoming too much of a slug and getting depressed. After that there should be more of a plan that involves real job search or part time casual job while I rack up the kind of voluntary experience I think I'll need to do what I really want to do.

[bugshaw.livejournal.com]

Good luck!

[mimmimmim.livejournal.com]

I can send you surplus veggie seeds if you like, so you can grow things in your garden. That way you won't have to buy any, and there are always more than we need in a pack, especially of things like tomatoes.

[inulro.livejournal.com]

Can you plant them in February?

My housemates and I planted tomatoes once. We grossly underestimated how many come off of each plant, and practically drowned in them.

[kajia.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on quitting your job!

I've found that you should try to do two things you don't want to do each day and two things you want to do. Doesn't mean I stick to that but it helps.

[inulro.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a very constructive suggestion for when I get to the point where I need to start being constructive.

What is likely to be more of a problem for me is I need to take a few weeks and relax and not get stressed about work stuff.

[tetsab]

The important thing is to not fall into the trap of being an Unemployed Person (you know, "I can't do X today, I've already done Y", where Y is something trivial like buying a few groceries or washing your hair)

This made me laugh mightily since that's exactly what I've started doing since finishing my degree. I'll do things like wash one set of dishes or make dinner and look at doing both in the same day as some sort of horrific burden that cannot be borne [and then I'll look around something to bonk myself on the head with]. I had no idea it was A Thing People Do when out of work.

So far I have a list of Things I'd Like to Do but I've put it off this week [of *course* I've put it off. That's what it's for: putting it off] with the idea that I can't settle into a routine quite yet while I'm not yet over new years [gotta get a one week long feel for the year before I make a schedule out of it (AKA: excuses, excuses)].