Have you ever been laid off from a job before? I mean blindsided - no idea it was coming and then having to figure out…what next? Well my friend, not that long ago, I was there. I want to tell you about the 3 incredible lessons that that I learned as a consequence.
First, let’s be real here - being let go is never fun. In fact, it can be really heartbreaking. I LOVE to work and so the environment became really important and when it’s gone, there’s suddenly this void. If you’re like me, you often spend more time working than with loved ones…the workaholics out there will feel me! So there is the void but also, there is the hustle to provide for your fam - you have to hustle. I got part time gigs WHILE hustling to get my side hustles up and running (THANK YOU TARGET!) and there was definite shame involved too.
HOWEVER, I want to keep this on the positives because now I’m out of it, I now know that there truly is magic in the rising. Here’s what I have learned.
ONE: Your network is everything.
I have so so much gratitude for my incredible network. Whether that was my sister in law helping to connect me with local professionals or connections I had made in my previous job supporting me and connecting me with others, it was so grounding. I had people I knew from my industry, who I had never really spoken to, sending messages of support. I had people offering to give me recommendations on LinkedIn. I got the opportunity to explore industries and have coffees with professionals I really admired. It was awesome.
Emotionally, the support was invaluable. Practically, it got me on my feet so much quicker than I could have hoped for and in fact, encouraged me to turn a small side project into a full on side hustle. Which I LOVE. I am so grateful for that.
So be really mindful of the relationships you are building as you are working. Life can turn on a dime and those relationships could be the difference between thriving and surviving (although I will argue that it’s always gonna be a mixture of the two).
TWO: Money spent on materialism is NOT empowerment.
I had to re-evaluate a lot of things when I was laid off. My identity as a working woman. My identity as a breadwinner in the household. My materialism. It was painful in lots of ways to realize that this was shifting and I no longer held that status in my marriage. Not only because of the shock of it, and honestly, not even because of the ‘things’ I was losing. But because it’s what I’d built a lot of my self worth on.
I realized that I’d stopped listening to what felt good in my work. I was following this track of materialism and spending SO much money on things. Literally things - hello Target and Amazon and massages and jewelry and meals and all the things. I was buying so many small things I didn’t need because I thought that was what success was supposed to look like. I think it became this visual representation of my work. But I was missing the mark.
What happened was when I was laid off was we suddenly had very little money! I hadn’t planned for this AT ALL, so I didn’t have a practical plan in place. I now understand that having a financial PLAN is empowering. Thinking about your money having IMPACT is empowering. Being SMART and saving for your future is empowering. There is always fun in treating yourself - lord knows I still do that. But having a strong foundation first is everything.
This was an invaluable lesson that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
THREE: Getting to know YOU is key…away from work.
Ok so when you get laid off, there’s this void - empty space where your work used to be. It’s HEARTBREAKING at first - especially as a workaholic because you put SO much into your work. For me though, it also is a coping mechanism. I love being busy, because I love to work…but also because it takes me away from the other things in my life that are hard.
When you find the quiet, it can be daunting. I’m always someone who has hated silence…but once you get over that initial hump, you suddenly realize you have all this space to be and explore who you are. To create, let your imagination run wild. To ask what YOU want. What YOU want to be when you grow up. Where you find value and fulfillment. And also…to face the other things you’ve maybe been avoiding.
So explore! Use that network. Take up hobbies you have always wanted to try. Fill your calendar with YOU time and coffees with people who fill you up and make you happy. The magic in this is that moving out of the environment I was in gave me my freedom again to get to know myself. Space to realize that my values are very much based in creativity, authenticity, impact, advocacy, art and connection. Those things weren’t at the forefront of my life for a long time, and now they are what I base my decisions on. Now I’m working in side hustles I love and looking for career opportunities that I KNOW will fulfill me long term.
I’m also facing issues that had been there for a while. Relationships, fulfillment. True happiness. It’s scary, but there’s so much growth in it and honestly, it doesn’t get much better than that.
What have been some of the positive you’ve experienced as a consequence of being laid off or walking away from a role? Tell me in the comments below!
(Let’s keep it positive!)
