Lessons from Lockdown World

As I write this, in the aftermath of losing my job (Thank you to Jack Victor for almost 4 years of growth and experience that have been invaluable to me) there are some lessons that can be reflected on in the midst of this.

#1 Don't be mad

In this new reality that we quickly found ourselves in, you cannot be mad at a company for terminating you. It is nothing personal, it is just the reality facing plenty of companies now, with some industries hit much harder than others. You are not alone in facing this, there are plenty of others who are going through this right here right now as well.

#2 Be Grateful

For whatever experience you had with the company you just worked for. If you were employed for a few years with the same employer chances are you learned many things from the first day you started until now. All the skills learned will help you in your journey moving forward. For myself, I had just moved back to Montreal from Ottawa and started in a customer service position. Hustled my tail off and was fortunate to move into merchandising where I learned so much about not only fabrics/textiles, but customer tastes, our supply chain and importance of relationship with suppliers.

#3 Keep Your Guard Up

For myself, when the economy went into lockdown mode, I mentally prepared myself for the possibility of this happening. Unless you are your own boss or run your own company, this can happen to anyone. Keeping businesses afloat or up and running again in a situation like this unfortunately comes with a cost. Do not become so arrogant as to think that you can never be let go or replaced. You are not God. Therefore in times of crisis mentally prepare yourself for the possibility and have a plan in the event that it does happen. It is also wise to put money aside for an "emergency fund" while you are working so you can have a cushion in the event of times like this.

#4 Take a Few Days To Yourself

It is no doubt normal to feel pained or stressed when it happens. But when it does, you're allowed to take a few days to yourself to process it and figure out a plan to move forward. Take walks, enjoy a cocktail or 2 on your patio, catch up on reading, exercise or binge watch that show you've been meaning to start!

#5 Have a Plan

Once all this is done, you're going to need to bring in money. Unemployment benefits are temporary help, not a career! Formulate a plan, reach out to contacts you have, prepare yourself to work in an industry you might not want to be in temporarily or begin driving with Uber, or a food delivery service like UberEats or Instacart. Don't stop hustling, keep your mindset sharp and focused.

Thanks for reading and best of luck to anyone going through this right now. Look on the positive side, you are healthy, there are worse things in life that could happen. Count your blessings and move on to bigger and better things!