I have been writing lot of small libraries as a way to flex technical muscles. Small as in “finished in a day” small. It might be worth considering. Also, learning a new language or tool is always a good idea.
Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't have to work?
41–50 of 144 posts
Re: Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't have to work?
#42I would have more time for exercise and I would probably spend more time sailing.
Re: Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't have to work?
#43Buy and live in a houseboat and sail up and down the Pacific coast from the top of North America all the way down to Mexico, Central and South America stopping and living at various ports along the way.
Re: Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't have to work?
#44Get more education and travel world on land
Re: Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't have to work?
#45Honestly, watch the kids all damn day. Maybe enroll in a couple classes or hack on a couple things here and there. Now, if I 'won the lottery', I'd have more resources and hire a nanny, giving me more time to take classes, hack on things, and do expensive stuff like build racecars.
> build race cars
I have often joked to my wife that my software career only fuels (no pun intended) my project car habit.
Re: Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't have to work?
#46[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't have to work?
#47The most important thing would be to find some kind of community. Find a cause that I could engage with together with others. Be that non profit or for profit, doesn’t matter.
Re: Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't have to work?
#48I quit my development job to drive from Alaska to Argentina - an adventure that changed my life. I poked lava with a stick, climbed a 5,897m active volcano, watched kids ride llamas to school, learned Spanish, vastly improved my photography, got into writing (and later published books).
Now it's my life, and I've since driven right around Africa, and right around Australia. I'm saving and planning for then next one now.
Take time to do the things you love, and discover the joy of slowing down to the pace of life that makes you happiest. You really don't need much money to live happily, what you really need is time to do what you want.
Re: Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't have to work?
#49Besides getting myself into good shape. I would get a whole bunch of certifications that are related to your industry. HN doesn't like certifications, but boy, defense industry loves that stuff.
I second this, because you will have a goal to work towards and something measurable afterwards. If you are not really inspired, many other suggestions might be harder to really follow through on, so you might end up with having done nothing in the end.
By all means, do relax, but I‘ve often found it hard to do so, when you are sort of required to do something but actually just waiting. I have often found those situations to be more taxing than actually working.
Re: Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't have to work?
#50Definitely get your daily exercise in. Bonus points for a home gym or calisthenics routine since you're somewhat on-call.