For Ten Things Tuesday: Ten Things You Probably Don’t Realize About Being Off Work

I know it’s probably not Tuesday, but I’m a Lady of Leisure now and can’t remember the day of the week. It was recently Tuesday, or will be Tuesday soon and that’s close enough. Lucky for me Tuesday comes around often. Sorry.

Spotted while in traffic.

For a long time before I got laid off I envisioned what my life would be like if I no longer had to work, like when I win the lottery jackpot. I made lists of all the things I would do, I wrote out a “typical” day in my life of leisure. On that list were such wholesome things such as starting the day with meditation, exercising, reading, spending time with family and friends, spending time with pets, going to the beach, traveling, working a little at my passive income business and/or non-profit, etc.

No, I am NOT prone to delusions of grandeur. I wish you would stop saying that.

I thought I’d envisioned it so well that I knew just what it would look like, but I was wrong. Again. Of course, in my vision I had a LOT more money, so that might change things a bit. I play the lotto because I don’t have enough money to continue this very much longer. Traveling is on the list of things I want to do, but I haven’t done that due to the fact I haven’t yet won the lottery. I also don’t have a non-profit, yet. Also due to not winning the lottery.

Well, here are the things I didn’t foresee about being a “Lady of Leisure”…

1. When you’re off work you don’t have to dress up anymore. Well, I don’t have any reason to. This means I live in sweats. All. the. time. They’re quite comfortable, but I do miss getting dressed up now and then. And I’m tired of always having to wash my sweats so I can have something to wear.

2. You probably won’ t be on the computer as much as you imagine. I thought I’d be on the computer all the time, but I rarely turn it on. However, my Facebook addiction is on the rise again. I blame my not-so-smart phone for both. Because of it, I don’t need to turn on the computer to update my Facebook status, add to my Netflix list, or do a search for something.

3. You’ll do the things on your list, but with less motivation since you now can do them anytime during the day. “I’ll do that later” will be your new mantra. I still meditate every day, but am not nearly as “structured” with it as I used to be since I can now do it anytime.

4. True, you will have all the time you wanted to exercise. But you need more than time – you need motivation. I lost two pounds the first two weeks of boot camp and it sucked getting there. Holy Bird Turds Batman! ONE pound a week. That motivates you to continue exercising everyday about as much as the idea of skipping chocolate appeals. And that’s the other problem: You are home and near your fridge all day long.

5. You’ll finish that book you started reading months ago. Then you’ll start two more and not finish them any faster now that you have plenty of time to read. You will suddenly become aware of a concept that hadn’t previously occurred to you: You probably don’t like to read as much as you thought you did.

6. Daytime TV is enough to make you brain dead. Just say no. I can hear my brain cells atrophying. I blame an overdose of daytime TV for my lack of interesting content.

7. Very few people are available to hang out with during the week day. You are your own company all. week. long. Don’t get me wrong, I love hanging out with me, but sometimes I’d like to have someone else participating in the conversations. Not that I talk to myself. Much.

8. Your house will be clean, your laundry will be done, and all those nagging projects will get completed. At first. Then you’ll get tired of doing the same tasks week after week when they’re really all you do anymore. Wash the sweats, and vacuum. Wash the sweats, and vacuum. You will come to appreciate the dust bunnies. You can talk to them.

9. With all the focus on ‘What to do?’ with yourself, and only you for company all day long, you may become rather focused on yourself. I have, and I’m in need a volunteer project to get out of thinking about “me” all the time.

10. Traffic… You will forget about rush hour traffic times. Often. You’ll make an appointment to go somewhere only to be sharply reminded of rush hour traffic times when you get stuck at the metered light. No, you can’t turn around. It’s too late.

Be on the lookout for a combination of too much brain-atrophying TV, and Facebook followed by a moment of clarity to get out and get some sun and exercise. While the thought to get some sun and exercise is a good one, do NOT do it in the street. It may be rush hour.