1. Complete your personal documents and other government papers
This is high time to go the bureaus concerned to get that Social Security ID that you have kept on postponing because of busy work schedule. It is also about time to visit the Alma Mater to get that transcript of records. Who knows that it may be required by the next prospective employer? How about the driver's license that has expired? (Because you are not driving, anyway. So renewing it is not that urgent).
Personal documents that may be needed as pre-employment requirements (if you are searching for your next employer) such as police clearance, passports, certifications from schools and previous employers and identification papers and licenses as mentioned above, are better prepared as it takes time to queue and for the bureaus or schools to process these documents. It will really come in handy when a new job opportunity comes (either locally or abroad).
Documents like real property titles, insurance claims, real property taxes and other similar government papers which are mostly neglected due to busy work schedule may be addressed at this time.
2. Visit your doctor/s and your dentist
Going to the doctor takes time to queue or to get appointments and it would take a leave of absence from the office. Worse, a deadline may be missed or the staff would keep on calling while the doctor pokes a digital thermometer on your ear. (Worst when it is the boss calling!) More often than not, most employees resort to self-medication.
Make the most of your time by visiting the dermatologist for that wart behind the ear. An appointment with the gynecologist will resolve the cramps that you have been enduring or other irregularities in your system. The friendly optometrist will gauge if your vision is still 20/20 after years of prolonged staring at your laptop computer screen. Say hello to the the ortho-surgeon to check if you have developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) on your wrists due to slacking on your office chair while in front of the computer. And finally, give a warm smile to the dentist which you only visit once a year (or probably once in a decade).
After these visits to the specialists which are often taken for granted, it would be like setting you free from worries about your health in general. Early detection ( if there are some findings or irregularities ) is better so prevention can be made.
3. Clean Up
Do you watch Clean House on The Style Network? It is a reality TV show about home makeovers and improvements where the key actions are just to clean and to de-clutter. My List No. 3 and 4 are just about these.
See a Clean House episode and be amazed. Click this.
Cleaning up your home is a major project which will swell up your time. Good housekeeping is founded on the basis of waste elimination through space organization. This is the basis of 5S. 5S is derived from 5 Japanese words seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu and shitsuke. In English, it is translated to sort, set in order, sweep, standardize and sustain. The 5S of good housekeeping are the core elements of "lean thinking" and "visual workplace" and are a fundamental platform for world-class manufacturing processes. And it is also applicable to your home.
Seiri - Sort
- remove what is not needed so that there are fewer hazards and less clutter. Only keep what is needed.
Seiton - Set in order
- place things in such a way that they can be easily reached whenever they are needed.
Seiso - Sweep or clean
- keep place and things clean and polished; no trash or dirt.
Seiketsu - Standardize
- maintain cleanliness such that cleaning is part of your daily tasks.
Shitsuke - Sustain or discipline
- make the first 4S a habit.
4. Hold a Garage Sale
After doing 5S at your home, you will end up with pile of items which you do not need anymore but may still be useful for others. Discard them by holding a garage or yard sale. The proceeds of which may be used to buy a new home fixture. If the items to be sold are not too many, take pictures of them and post to free online ads.
5. Let the House Helpers Enjoy a Vacation
If you have a stay-in person in charge of cleaning, laundry, ironing and cooking, their much anticipated vacation is best to give them at this time. A couple of months will be highly appreciated. The cost involved would depend on the agreement with the house helpers.
So who will do all these chores without "Inday"? In my case, I did all the chores except for the laundry which I admit is a skill I can never learn. The benefits of doing it myself? I can sweat it out everyday doing the chores without the pressure of following a specific type of exercise (jogging, swimming, biking). These daily chores coupled with a good diet, will make one lose 10 pounds in one month (not really bad for a person who hates exercise).
6. Feed Your Mind
Grab that book that was purchased a year ago. Dust it all off and now is the time to read it and feed your mind.
At these times, you need to read at least 3 types of reading materials: a magazine, a non-fiction and a fiction. The latest trends and news are scarce at the confines of the home. A magazine or a weekly newspaper will provide the updates on the real outside world. Other than watching it on the boob tube or on the web, reading it on paper still feels great.
For non-fiction, I recommend reading inspirational books from Malcolm Gladwell, Mitch Albom, Bo Sanchez or Francis Kong. Non-fiction reads will provide the necessary time for introspection, reflections and formulation of action plan for your next 3 months while on a career break. Books about hobbies will be a good non-fiction reading materials, too.
Fiction materials like the works of Michael Crichton, J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dan Brown, Stephenie Meyer and Neil Gaiman will enhance your imagination. It will help you get more creative and intuitive.
7. Attend Workshops and Seminars
Coming across advertisements, announcements and schedule of seminars, lectures or workshops in your non-fiction hobby books, is a good opportunity to learn what you may be interested in. It can be photography, cooking, gardening, cross-stitching, painting or whatever may interest you. These interests, when learned and applied can provide an extra source of income (earning while you are out of job, sounds good!)
I myself attended a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and internet marketing workshops. You may wonder why these made me interested. I like technology. I can now use Facebook and Twitter to promote events and products and Blogger for I have now my own blogs (like this one).
8. Join a Ministry or Civic Organizations in your Community
Let not your social life be stagnant. Keep busy and meet people, this time, not in the usual office environment but people from your local parish church or from the ministry or organization that you support. Serving in the church or other organizations will keep you in high spirits because you will experience joy in giving and sharing. It is priceless.
As a bonus of joining such, a got to meet my favorite author in person, Bo Sanchez! And had his book (which I bought) signed by him. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera so I just took a pic of his autograph when I went home.
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| Encircled in red, it says: Be blessed, Bo. |
I recently joined UNICEF. Guess who is the ambassador? Gary Valanciano! Who knows, meeting him will be another bonus. Lessons learned: 1) don't be star struck and 2) bring your camera.
9. Let Not Your Skills Rust in Peace
Afraid that you might lose your acquired skills in the office if you have a pro-longed career break? Worry not.
The web or the internet has changed the way we live and work today. Just imagine, we now have on-line jobs. Stay-at-home moms and even those who preferred to work in the confines of their homes do this. Those who have day jobs and yet would like to earn extra, also do on-line jobs. The pay is really good and the tasks vary. For practicing professionals, online jobs offer work from web design to legal and accounting. Part time jobs are like data-entry, customer service, payment processing, writing and translation/ transcribing.
What do you need to get started?
- Register to sites providing online job opportunities. Registration is free.
- Create your profile. This is like creating your resume.
- Look for available jobs posted on the site and apply.
- Make sure you have a Paypal account and Skype account. The former will be your means of getting the payment from your employer and the latter will be your means of communicating with them. Skype is also preferred when the employer interviews the applicant for a post applied for.
While on a career break, you are ensured that your skills will be maintained by doing this. It is also fun and rewarding.
10. Watch Over Your Finances
A career break may be awesome at it gives one a rest, a necessary pit stop to the fast-paced everyday living as a career person. But it is not simply saying "I quit", "I want to rest" to the boss or to the staff.
Having a career break takes a lot of preparation: financially, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Who knows that a career break may become permanent? It means being on the brink of retirement. Does that excite you? Or does it bring pin pricks on the head?
The truth? It is both exciting and yet worrisome about the future.
There will be no more deadlines, but how about the household bills?
There will be more time with the family, but how about the money for buying the groceries?
There will be time to chill and hang out with friends and colleagues, and yet awkward to show them your calling card which formerly says Manager or Executive and now has been replaced with "full time husband or wife"?
Going on a career break requires conscious effort to prepare for it. You need to have enough funds to support yourself throughout the number of months or years without a regular job. But if you have been saving up since the first time you have worked (since 15 years ago!), the funds will be more than sufficient. However, nothing could be compared to having a regular day job. It is as sure as the sun rises and sets that you will receive your monthly salary. But I recommend that if you are on a career break, you will need to replace the lost day job salary with other means. Having paper investments (like time deposits, mutual funds, stocks) will already secure you but I recommend you not to touch these savings and investments unless necessary. Earnings from the investments should only be touched in cases of emergency.
Meanwhile, there are other opportunities. While looking for a possible regular employment, start a business which can be managed on your own or with a partner. This is quite a lengthy so I will have to reserve it for another blog post. Or like I mentioned in List No.9, go online. Online opportunities can be: freelance jobs, paid online surveys, selling products by creating on-line store and blogging. If you are a licensed professional, you may render your services on small businesses nearby for a fee. Here, you will find that you are earning from what you like to do and know how to do from the confines of the home or in close proximity to it.
Still, the key is to work hard. Any kind of work whether in the office or virtual office requires this.
Lastly, while doing the above alternative means of earning, make sure to spend wisely. Cut costs. (more on this on another blog post)
On the Verge of Retirement:
What if the prolonged career break extends even further? And you were afraid that with the 15 years in service, nothing had gone to any investment instruments. The key is to set aside savings little by little (more about saving for the future in my next blog post)so that when a career break happens or when reaching the age 60, or when a decision to retire early is made, all you have to do is to take a trip or cruise outside the country.
Sources:
5S System - Asian Productivity Organization
Clean House - The Style Network