I have, until recently, run my own company for years - - - and worked a lot. Now I’m employed by a sizeable corporation, and, while the work is there, they (something I like about them) do enforce the 40 hour work week. It was disconcerting the first few weeks to have the mothership eject me at 4:30 - I was used to working until 7:30 or so and I didn’t know what to do with myself. A strong corporate ethic exists to get everybody out of there at quitting time (working for them as a consultant a few years ago, they called me in at 7:00 AM on New Year’s Day - I had to close one eye to make sense out of the well log we were looking at).
Come Memorial Day we switched to summer hours; while I can continue to work until 5:30 Monday through Thursday, they shut it down at 11:30 on Friday. Last week was the first one and I just drove over to my old office (company of which I still own half, but my partner runs), but there was not much I could do there.
So, I guess I’m a recovering workaholic. What should I be doing with my 2½ day weekends (no coming in on Saturday).
Beatle, I am done work at noon on Fridays and love it, especially now that summer is here. I spend my time outside going for walks, working in the yard, sometimes I go meet friends for lunch. I use it as Sue time. Time thats just for me. Sometimes I come home and have a nap or sigh yep sign on the computer.
It was definitely weird at first after so many years of working longer days, but that half day sure makes a difference for me.
You’ll do great once you get into the swing of being a recovered workaholic. Time for a new hobby my friend!!
Rollerblading, cycling, getting the meat ready for the barbecue, drinking mass quantities of beer while most people are still at work, getting a tan, catching an afternoon matinee, working out, taking a nap, catching up on your reading, breathing down old ladies necks in the grocery store, going to the library, posting to the board(no, I didn’t say that), spying on the kids at school on the playground(if you have any that young), riding a bus so you can look at the crazy lady with the funny hat, cleaning house, meeting your wife for lunch(and maybe a quick desert!), learning to play guitar, painting, fishing, etc…
Oh, the things you can think! (or whatever).
This may sound cloying, have you ever considered being a Big Brother? Sounds like you have energy and drive to burn. There are sooo many kids out there on waiting lists for a responsible adult to just spend some time with them.
Again, this may be sappy, but please consider it. You’d be so great at it, and have so much to give. While you were at it, betcha dollars to doughnuts you’d rediscover some zest in “pasttimes”. Hard to imagine anything more needed or rewarding.
As long as I’m being a pompous, sanctimonious idiot (like what else is new?), life is too short all the way around. You have excess energy, there’s a crying lack of quality adult time for kids; maybe it could be a real match.
What a great idea Veb!! There are many organizations that would love to have new volunteers. You are bright and intelligent Beatle, what about working in a literacy program? A friend of my mom’s is a retired nurse. She now spends one evening a week helping illiterate adults learn to read. She loves it.
I work with illiterate kids every day and it scares me to think of their futures.
We have every other Friday off. Believe me it won’t take you long to get used to it. Then you’ll wonder how you ever did without it.
Use the time for something that you enjoy. Life is short and we have to spend too much time on other things as it is. Be a little selfish with that time.
Living in the country, I usually spend that Friday catching up on the yardwork so that I can play on Saturdays. But then it’s not really work because I enjoy being outside.
Think about yourself for a change, and what you would enjoy doing.