Things I could do more if I didn’t have a full-time job

Top Ten Tuesday is currently hosted by Artsy Reader Girl and has weekly topics for bloggers to respond to and share a love of all things books! I love thinking up my responses and the weekly blog hop to see what everyone else wrote!

This week’s prompt was for autumn book covers, but don’t read the kind of thing that has that kind of cover or “seasonal vibes”, so that was too hard!

I’ve been thinking about all the projects I’d like to do but never get around to, and I saw the above New Yorker cartoon show up in my Instagram feed, so instead here is a list of stuff I would do more off if I didn’t have to spend so much of my time at my job.

Now I do actually enjoy my job, and I am very lucky to have it… but I work 40 hours a week. 8:30 to around 5:30 pm every day are spend at work, if I take an hour for lunch. I usually need an hour for lunch if I want to go for a walk and eat.

On top of that I have to do all the other basic life admin, household chores, relationship, exercise and hygiene things. And sleep. That doesn’t leave a lot of true free time.

I don’t even have a kid and it feels like I still have barely any times for all the things I’d like to be doing!

Sometimes I fantasise about being able to retire and all the time I’d have for the things I’d like to do. I’m only 37 so I’ve got about 30 more years to go, but hopefully earlier if we can get on top of the financial planning.

1. Make a lot more embroidery art.
2. Take better care of the garden.
3. Declutter the house.
4. Improve drawing skills, especially learning the anatomy of plants and faces.
5. Improve painting skills. I’d love to really crack water-colour.
6. Read more non-fiction, and maybe actually retain it.
7. Read more in general, and indulge in more close readings of favourites.
8. Learn how to do cryptic crosswords and puzzles.
9. Learn more coding (I’ve had book on javascript for about 2 years and haven’t opened it).
10. Write more in depth blog posts, and publish more of my drafts!
11. Have a go at creative writing.
12. Re-learn to play the piano (it’s been 24 years since I last touched one!).
13. Read more blogs and engage with other bloggers.
14. Cook more variety of different foods.
15. Try learning another language (maybe French).
16. Visit nature spots for longer walks.
17. Go to exercise classes and social groups, and meet more new people. (I went to one tonight but was already so exhausted by work I didn’t have much in the tank to push through new person social anxiety too)

If I didn’t have to work I’d have no problem filling my days!