If you are unemployed, you are running out of money, and you know the time is running out (unless you manage to make something that brings a lot of money soon).
This anxiety can make a huge difference in how you will spent the time. Even if you made the same plans, I would expect more procrastination in situation B.
Define A as “the stuff I would spend my time doing if I got tenure”. Define B as “the stuff I would spend my time doing if I became unemployed.”
I’ve been wondering how close A and B are to being identical.
If you are unemployed, you are running out of money, and you know the time is running out (unless you manage to make something that brings a lot of money soon).
This anxiety can make a huge difference in how you will spent the time. Even if you made the same plans, I would expect more procrastination in situation B.