| I don't have to work. Or more accurately, I can avoid work for a long time without any consequences. Think of a balloon that deflates slowly. I have to blow air into it sometimes, but rarely right now. The weather ends up being a lot more consequential. Sunny days rarely get wasted. I ride my bicycle a lot in the summer. I can spend more time on projects with zero economical incentive. That's most of my work these days. I can write better tools for my readers without thinking about how they'll pay for themselves. I get to work on what feels right. I have the time to do things slowly. I can walk two hours to get somewhere, and stop for coffee along the way. I can overengineer things. I am a lot more available and I am more generous with my time. I don't need to invest my free time so judiciously. People told me that I've become far more relaxed and easygoing. However I'm very careful about gaming and mindless browsing. I still have an alarm and some structure in my life. I try not to waste my years aboard the gravy train. I still don't make time to practice an instrument. I didn't join any clubs or rebuild any old motorcycle. I learned that I don't really care about some of those things. The lack of time was just an excuse. To sum it up as actionable advice: do more of the things you love. Treat it like two hundred Saturdays. Don't turn this into a job, and don't spend them on the couch either. |