1 Year

By 4 commentsBlog, DiLA Blog, Uncategorized

Say that some force of nature, or your own insanity, allows you to have one year off from your normal life. In this scenario, there are no kids (probably), an easy mortgage/rent scenario and some money (not a fortune) in the bank. These are your parameters. BUT you cannot continue working at your present job (and you can’t return). In other words, you are completely free for one year to try anything you want to try. What do you do?

I imagine that there are some of you reading this blog that love your jobs/careers so much that you would do them anyway—or find a way to pursue those same things, but in a different way. For some, the idea could be a bit paralyzing because there are so many things you want to do, and you aren’t sure where to start. For others, the idea of not having more money coming in, even though you would be completely stable without it for that year, would mean you’d automatically seek out other paid work.

What is the thing that you would gravitate towards in this situation? I’m partial to Bewitched marathons on the couch, myself.

Could you spend your days going to museums and trying a class?

Would you stay at the beach for a year?

Would you head to Africa for a year to work with an NGO?

Would you try many different things and go from internship to internship?

Would you head to Greece and write that long-awaited novel?

What would you do?

 

4 comments on “1 Year”

  1. Helen

    I propose that, in theory, you could do all of the above. Begin with a week of Bewitched marathons. Wake up late, stay in your jammies all day, have ice-cream for breakfast…indulge! The following week, get out to a museum or the beach, maybe write a little and plan that trip to Greece. Spend a month in Greece writing. Come back (unless you meet a lovely Greek gentleman who is interested in Russian literature and believes in long, drawn-out courtships involving hours of witty repartee rather than groping each other in a public restroom.) Sign up for a class. Apply for a few internships. Do nonprofit work. Write. A year off is an amazing gift. Make the most of it.

  2. Helen

    I propose that, in theory, you could do all of the above. Begin with a week of Bewitched marathons. Wake up late, stay in your jammies all day, have ice-cream for breakfast…indulge! The following week, get out to a museum or the beach, maybe write a little and plan that trip to Greece. Spend a month in Greece writing. Come back (unless you meet a lovely Greek gentleman who is interested in Russian literature and believes in long, drawn-out courtships involving hours of witty repartee rather than groping each other in a public restroom.) Sign up for a class. Apply for a few internships. Do nonprofit work. Write. A year off is an amazing gift. Make the most of it.

  3. danielletbd

    I did a version of this after I quit my corporate job in 2009. I didn't have the luxury of doing it for a full year, but a few months did the trick nonetheless. It was a way to revitalize and re-energize myself and rediscover what I loved about L.A., too. I spent a lot of time at the beach– the various beaches of L.A., taking day trips to Santa Barbara, Manhattan Beach, Malibu, Laguna, etc. I spent a lot of time reading– and that actually inspired me to spend a lot of time writing, too. I saw more plays, even little workshops and parodies from comedy troupes I wouldn't otherwise had time to look for. I shopped more than I should have. I lived like a Real Housewife of wherever– unencumbered by responsibility, awaking every morning deciding what that day would entail without too much fore-thought or planning. It was relaxing at first. Then I got antsy to get on with "real life."

  4. Carey Hagan

    I would learn Italian and move to Italy, where I'd probably gain at least 20 lbs and get [more] skin cancer. Sigh.

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