Killing Time During the VCDX Wait

There’s a whole crew out there waiting for their VCDX results RIGHT NOW, and I know how hard it can be. The best comparison I can think of is waiting for the letter to arrive from your first choice in college you’ve applied to (do they even send letters, or is it e-mails now? It’s been a while.).

I’ve been there, so I know how rough it is. You’re just plain old burned out and exhausted, and you’ve suddenly got a ton of free time on your hands (not a good thing when you’re obsessively checking your e-mail).

Here’s some tips for killing time while you wait.

• Read a book that is in no way related to VCDX.  Pick up something fictional and enjoy!
• Read a cooking magazine.  This will distract you, and hopefully you’ll find a recipe to try!  Cook it over and over until you master it.  Bonus points if it is a dessert!  After all, you deserve it!
• Spend time with friends and family.  You’ve probably missed them while you were parked in front of the computer.
• Go outside!  If you’re in the United States, hopefully you can take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather.  If you’re in a cold climate, bundle up and go for a walk.
• Pick that hobby you neglected back up.  Chances are something had to give during the VCDX prep process, now you’ve earned your time back to do the things you really enjoy!
• Find a new hobby.  No time like the present.
• Become the DIY King or Queen.  Pinterest is a great place to look for fun things to try out, chances are you already have the things for some projects.  A visit to the hardware or craft store to pick up some supplies is a great way to kill some time as well.  Don’t forget to do a search for ‘Pinterest fails’ for some good laughs.
• Do a massive brain dump.  Just jot down everything you think you learned during the process.  Regardless of you pass or fail, if you look at this in a week, you’ll shock yourself with how much you learned during the process.

Also, here’s some ideas on what not to do:

• Don’t check your email obsessively.  You’ll just drain your battery and drive yourself nuts.  Try to limit yourself to 4 extra checks a day from what you would normally do.  If you MUST check something obsessively, another thing to check is the VCDX hashtag (#VCDX) on Twitter.  People will start tweeting their results as soon as they get them.  Twitter is also a great way to kill some time!
• Don’t obsess over if you passed or failed.  At this point, it won’t change anything.  Try to relax (I know, it isn’t easy!).

Now for the totally zany suggestions to make you laugh (because I’m sure you need it!).

• Take a vacation to a remote area with no Internet access.  Only return after the VCDX program’s SLA has passed.
• Attend clown or mime school.
• Climb Mt. Everest.  That should be a cake walk after VCDX, right?
• Complete a IRONMAN or Triathlon.  Again, should be a breeze after what you’ve just done!
• Likewise, pick a sport and start training for the next Olympics.
• Try out different hair colors.
• Start hiking across a country, pick whichever one you would like!

If you’re still looking to kill some time as you wait, send me a tweet @vmiss33 on Twitter and tell me what you’re doing!  I’ll add your suggestions here!

Whatever the outcome is on your defense, congratulations for getting this far!  Getting to the defense phase of the VCDX program is no small feat.  Now is the time to take a little break, and pat yourself on the back.  There will be plenty of time after your results to figure out what is next.