So recently, I had one of those life curveballs that come at ya.
On December 18th, I was let go from my position unexpectedly. No warning. No build-up. Nothing. It was quite the punch in the gut (I was asked by someone if this was my first time and it was. He had been fired a few times in his career and he wore it like some kind of badge of honor. I found that weird, but oh well). I went home and watched "It's A Wonderful Life" with my cat and started mapping out my next steps. I could put the situation in a little bit of a box for the first two weeks because we had the holidays and a New Year's trip to Iceland but once reality set in, it was time to process.
Side note; I am back in the workforce so there is a happy ending. Didn't want to bury the headline.
First of all, you do go through the normal grieving process when something like this happens. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. All present and accounted for.
So what got me through this temporary employment black hole? Here are some keys to success;
1.) Networking -- I reached out to my network and set up shop at the local coffeehouse. I scheduled meeting after meeting while caffeinating heavily. Talked to a lot of people and kept that magical elixir pouring through my veins. It was good to engage the mind and map out my next steps.
2.) Yoga -- Once my mind was engaged, I needed to fill my soul and breathe. It's like the song from Pearl Jam, "Just Breathe." It was good to remember to do so.
3.) Workout -- I was at the gym 22 times during the month. Needed to sweat. Got the heart pumping and took out some frustrations on the barbells.
4.) Socialized -- I am talking about the real kind of social networking here. Actually meeting people in the flesh and blood over a cocktail. There's a great little dive just down the street named Funk's and it hit the spot. Saw friends, shared spirits, celebrated, commiserated, laughed a little and just hung out. Good stuff Maynard!
So there ya go. Your own little survival kit for the unexpected employment curveball.
"F you Jobu. I do it myself."
