“I will say this: If I don’t go all the way, if I don’t win, I will consider it to be a total and complete waste of time, energy, and money,” Donald Trump told Megyn Kelly in May. Trump has continued to use that line in recent days.

Now that the campaign has run its course and Trump is on the precipice of winning or losing it all, let’s revisit that point: Was this all for naught? How else should Trump have spent the past 16 months instead of running for president? We’ve compiled a short list of ideas.

Joined the mission to Mars. Just think: If Trump had left for Mars instead of announcing his campaign in July 2015, he would still be in outer space. Trained for an ultramarathon. Gotten really into CrossFit. Tried to take over CrossFit. Got pushed out of CrossFit and left in disgrace. Gotten really into Tough Mudder. Had nearly two babies. He would have to leave the second one in, though, to avoid the “ripping the baby out of the womb” technique he was so critical of Hillary Clinton for supporting. Or he could have had a walrus, a species that conveniently takes 15–16 months to gestate. Bankrupted a casino. Come through the other side of a lengthy divorce. Developed fine motor skills. It takes most people about 16 months (usually the 16 months immediately following birth) to reach this milestone; Trump could refine his wild gestations and get there any day now. Gotten stuck on an island for a longer combined length of time than the castaways were trapped on Lost and Brian was trapped in Hatchet but shorter than Tom Hanks was stuck in Castaway. Traveled around the world in 80 days six times. At a rate of three a day, harassed more than 1,000 women. Hosted three to five seasons of The Apprentice. Repaired the subway tunnel New York City’s L train uses to get between Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Took on a career-remaking role in a critically praised but little watched television drama that got canceled then saved by a streaming network. Gotten a degree from a for-profit institution like Trump University.

Fought two-fifths of the Civil War, one-third of World War I, or one-fourth of World War II before quitting due to claims the contests were rigged. Who is to say which side he would be on? Gotten over a 32 month relationship, by the rule established in Sex and the City that it takes half the amount of time you were in a relationship to get over it. Putin, maybe?

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