Why I don’t have a traditional job

Why I don't have a traditional job

S.K. Jacklyn

For most of my adult life, I haven’t had a “regular” job.

That’s not entirely true because I’ve worked at least part time over the summer for a few years, but that’s summer only. I’ve never had a 9-5, 5 days a week, salary paying job, nor am I looking for that sort of job anytime in the foreseeable future.

And that’s not because I in any way think full time salary jobs are bad. My husband works a “regular” job and so does almost everyone I know. If needed I am totally willing and able to do so. However, I have been blessed by parents who supported me at home until I got married. And now my husband provides for us to live comfortably with his job.

So I have never needed to provide for myself, and that’s okay. However, I do believe that laziness (note: laziness is different from rest) is a sin, and I most certainly believe in “earning my keep.” I’ve struggled in the past with wondering if I should be working full time and what I should be doing. But I have been encouraged by my parents, and now my husband, that making lots of money in a traditional job is only one way to be productive with time and efforts. My husband and I both grew up with stay-at-home moms who homeschooled the kids, and we both knew this was our desire for when we have children.

However, we don’t have any kids yet, so what might someone like me do all day?

Well, a lot of things actually, so stick around if you’re interested in hearing about it.

Writing: I hope that someday in the future I can make some money off of books, but that day is certainly not here yet. I take my writing seriously, and often spend 1-3 hours working on my novel, an additional hour or so working on emails, blog posts, and making changes and updates to my website, and other platform or techie things related to writing. Then I spend about another hour on learning more about writing and platform on the Young Writer’s Workshop. Of course, these times are not set in stone; they are often more or less, but it is not uncommon for me to spend 3-5 hours a day on writing related things. This is one reason I was able to write my most recent draft of Twins so quickly!

Being a “Full time Wifey”: This is what my husband sometimes calls all the little tasks I take care of at home. While we don’t necessarily believe in male-female division of labor and housework, it just makes sense for me to take care of things so he doesn’t have to! I do things like grocery shopping, cleaning, laundry, making dinner, and managing many of our payments and budget so he doesn’t have to worry about it. It leaves more time for rest, fun things, and future planning when we don’t have to take care of all the little things between 6pm and 7am.

Because we’ve been in progress of getting a loan, buying land, and making preparations for a house, this has included a lot of other things recently too. I have made lots of phone calls, sent emails, done research, drawn floor plans, and bought and sold household items in preparation for some of our next steps. These have kept me busy!

Reading: There’s a quote that says, “Good writers are good readers.” Reading is often underestimated in our culture, and many people either don’t have time to read, or don’t make time to read. However, because I’m a writer, books are my friend and reading is important to me. Reading fiction helps me learn more about writing and storytelling, which helps me improve my books. Nonfiction/biographies helps me grow stronger in my faith and be encouraged and inspired by others. I consider all of these to be very important!

Other learning: Some of this could be included in reading, but it also includes YouTube videos, articles, and hands on experience. Even though I decided not to go to college, I have resolved to never stop learning. I will not always have extra time that I can devote to learning random things, but random things often come in handy in life! These are things I do more sporadically and inconsistently, when I have extra time for some reason or just particularly feel like it. This includes learning more about things such as language and culture, sewing, cooking, coaching, athletics, music, gardening, and more!

Volunteering/being available/building relationships: This encompasses a lot too, but because my schedule has been so flexible (I don’t have to spend 5 hours on writing every single day) I often have more availability for things like helping with church events, maintenance, and projects; babysitting; getting together with people; spending time with my family (especially my mom and sisters who are also less busy); and occasionally doing things with the local homeschool group. I have many opportunities for building relationships and helping people out, while still spending lots of quality time with my husband. Service is one of my spiritual gifts, and quality time is a big way I show and receive love, so these random little things are important to me!

While I know a lot of people don’t have the desire or ability to not work consistently while still being productive, this has been a huge blessing in my life. I believe that this is what God has called me to do right now, and things certainly change as life goes on, but for now I am content and happy with the life He has given me!