Thanks for all the great responses, everyone!
I guess I should clarify based on a few comments. I am not actively seeking things to keep my busy mind busier. I volunteer, I work out, I have multiple businesses (probably too much going on there), I travel and visit family and have many hobbies. I am actually quite busy, but it's the down time I crave and just suck at. It is really hard to make myself sit down and read or watch a movie occasionally. Maybe I just have to do that, make myself and make it OK.
I too am a list maker, Libertea, and I like your suggestion of just one thing per day. I used to do that at work and found it reduced my stress some, but work was terrible for stress. So glad I am gone from there. Anyway, I like the idea and will work to implement that. I tend to make these giant unreasonable lists of things to do that day not accounting for all the standard daily responsibilities and inevitable problems that crop up. Then I don't finish the list.
I currently don't hire much out, Metric Mouse, but I think I may have to do more of that especially when it comes to QuickBooks (barf). I also really hate cleaning the house, but like a clean house. I do everything else, especially outside which I kind of like doing, but for some reason scrubbing a bathtub is not my idea of a good time no matter how much I like it afterward. haha
Thanks for the book recommendations as well.
Holyoak, I appreciate the thoughtful response. I have only been at this whole new life since October, but the relaxing thing has been an issue for a while. My mom was the same way and I remember I used to get so mad at her for not sitting down and watching a movie without getting up in the middle of it to clean something or do whatever busy work. My dad is much better at relaxing, but I don't feel I got much of that gene. From him I received the general disdain for working for the man and having managers! I definitely do not feel any loss of identity from my job, it never felt right from the 1st day I sat in that cubicle. I knew I had to get out as fast as I could and finding this page (MMM) was like epiphany for what I was always trying to figure out. Maybe more of your last comment, "no satisfaction in the conventional." You're right, though, I do need to take a deeper look in and see what I want. I do often feel lost or confused about what I want to accomplish or do in life, but then I am not even sure what that means. I do recognize that I am very lucky to be 34 and free to have these kinds of "problems." And I do need to give it some time and take a step back and realize that not everything has to be done now now now with a plan in place for everything to be maximally efficient. Damn engineer in me. And you really captured my thoughts exactly with your last statement about embarking on a whole new existence I could never have seen coming. It would be very cool. I guess I just need to give it time to develop.