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Ask HN: What would you spend your time working on if you didn't need money?

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Re: Ask HN: What would you spend your time working on if you didn't need money?

#211

Post by aaronrobinson »

mikestew wrote: post #128

I guess I'll find out on Friday, which is my last day. Poking around on computers has been good enough to me that I can call it quits at 60. What comes after this? First, a summer of being a bum (if I last that long). After that, more volunteering at the animal shelter, more volunteering with the local running club, and I half-jokingly say I'm going to be a professional trail runner (where I'll be paid in socks and c…

Im in a similar boat but about 18 months further down the line than you. I figure that even if I choose (or have) to earn something I can do something I love doing for less or something I’m good at for less time. I’ve done the summmer bum thing I plan to do it every year by driving down to the alps in a van conversion and running the trails. I recommend it. It’s easy to become overwhelmed with all the things you want to do with your time but it’s a ton of fun project managing them.

Re: Ask HN: What would you spend your time working on if you didn't need money?

#212

Post by aaronrobinson »

thelastquestion wrote: post #147

General infrastructure that benefits humanity in a goal agnostic way, e.g., related to energy or compute seems like a meaningful thing to get behind. This could be novel technology or logistics and efficiency improvements, but these are things that can augment everyone's ability to do the things they want. Socially, there are a lot of things that seem "silly" (euphemistically), and it's a blight on civilization that…

You’re absolute right in some respects on your last point. You need to seize the day. So many people delay retirement too long for fear of not being financially protected to age they probably won’t last to, meanwhile their physical and mental capacity are typically deteriorating.

Re: Ask HN: What would you spend your time working on if you didn't need money?

#213

Post by aaronrobinson »

epiccoleman wrote: post #81

Family first, of course. I already dedicate a ton of my time to them - everything from just basic "hanging out" with my wife and kids, to all the basic maintenance of life - budgeting, housework, driving people around, scheduling appointments, and so on. With my day job gone, I have a huge stack of side projects and hobbies that I'd love to put more time into. I think the hardest part, in a world where I've regained…

I disagree with putting family first. Health is top of the list for me. Money is next. They are the enablers of time. Then family is a consideration.

Re: Ask HN: What would you spend your time working on if you didn't need money?

#214

Post by aaronrobinson »

aidomi wrote: post #191

Woodworking/Carpentry. As much as I like writing code and working in Product, it'd be nice to work on something tangible. It's so much easier to give someone a physical product that (for the most part) is 'done' when it's handed over, and there's also the knowledge base that remains mostly intact and isn't continuously iterated like it does in programming.

This is one of the things I’m doing. I’ve always been useless with my hands but it’s a whole lot of fun gradually learning even the most basic of things. I have a house to renovate but no time limit and gradually learning one little skill makes other harder ones become that bit less intimidating.

Re: Ask HN: What would you spend your time working on if you didn't need money?

#215

Post by Gooblebrai »

hiAndrewQuinn wrote: post #210

Honestly? I'd just keep working on whatever I already thought was profitable. I'd probably take higher-risk, higher-reward swings with that work, but I like working. I have a pretty steadfast confidence by this point in my life that free markets usually converge over the long term to the best outcomes for all. So I have no real plans to stop reaping the fruits of my own increasingly-specialized labor, until medical r…

What drives you to keep earning money when you don't need more?

Re: Ask HN: What would you spend your time working on if you didn't need money?

#216

Post by aaronrobinson »

mdnahas wrote: post #165

I don’t have enough to retire on, but spent my last decade working on what I wanted. I worked on Formal Proof, until I realized the problem wasn’t the tech but the math-proof business model. (Academic mathematicians aren’t incentivized to write formal proofs.). I got an Econ degree. I’ve studied housing in Austin and advocated to loosen restrictive regulation that causes high rents. And I designed version 3 of Parchi…

This is part of my life philosophy. The word retire needs to be retired. The concept of waiting until you have enough money to last you to an age you probably won’t live to before you start doing the things you want is bizarre to me, especially as your mental and physical capacity declines. Seize the day. Earn less doing something you enjoy more. Work a 4 day week. Take longer breaks between jobs.

Re: Ask HN: What would you spend your time working on if you didn't need money?

#217

Post by aaronrobinson »

oumua_don17 wrote: post #6

Fortunately, I have reached that stage. OTOH, still figuring out what to do next. I keep reminding myself of what PG had to say: By compressing the dull but necessary task of making a living into the smallest possible time, you show respect for life, and there is something grand about that.

Figuring it out is so much fun.

Re: Ask HN: What would you spend your time working on if you didn't need money?

#218

Post by ilikepie22 »

im in this situation, i live off of steady income, all bills paid perfectly every month. and im wishing i had something to keep me preoccupied, the problem is that after 7 years of living like this, its really difficult to find stuff to do, when money is somewhat tight, but youre able to pay all your bills. i spend alot of time playing video games, and working with AI projects, wishing i could work, but health issues get in the way.
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