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I had a traumatic situation about a year ago. After hanging onto a job for over six years, and basically working non-stop for twenty, I found myself unemployed. And miserable.
I didn’t know how to properly fill my time. And I felt myself in a state of constant worry and panic.
And then one day, I was employed again. And I found myself looking back at those frustrating unemployment days as lost opportunities. I realized I did unemployment incorrectly. And lots of observation and contemplation prepared me for today, once again “between jobs”, but this time attempting to live life to the fullest.
I have four rules that have kept me smiling during round two of the wonderful world of unemployment.
Unemployment: Be Picky
The first rule is to be selective.
Last time I was job hunting, the goal was to be employed. To pay the bills. To put food on the table. I easily sent out hundreds of resumes… and consequently spent half my day deleting rejection emails.
First of all, the goal should never be to just have a job. It should be to love a job. It should be to work in a field or for a company you love. You won’t love everything you do and 100% of your jobs along the way. But that should always be the goal!
So send out fewer resumes. Apply for jobs that are really calling to you, and will have an extremely positive impact on your future. Take the time to craft your resume and tailor resumes toward specific positions.
This is beneficial on so many levels. No one wants to receive hundreds of rejections or get ghosted by several dozen other companies. You are prevented from accepting a role that will at best not advance your career, and at worst will make you miserable. And you keep your eye on the prize. It’s like a marriage. The wrong choice can have indefinite negative consequences. You should play for keeps. Working for the sake of paying the bills is important, no doubt. But so is happiness. It should never be sacrificed.
Unemployment: Embrace the Chaos
The second rule is to learn to embrace the lack of schedule.
If you are anything like me, you like routine. You thrive on routine. You might get frustrated with the daily grind, but you also appreciate it. You know where you need to be at all times and what you’re supposed to be doing.
But you know in your heart that there’s more to life than going through prescribed motions.
There are countless things that get pushed to the side because there are too many rigid schedules in your life.
So what happens? You make job hunting your job, and artificially limit yourself once again, preventing you from doing things you couldn’t do before… because of your job.
Make a list of the likely several things you had no time for when you were working. Do you have a friend you never get to meet up with? A doctor you have been pushing off seeing? A class you’ve been wanting to take?
Of course, you’ll talk yourself out of it. How can I take a class when I don’t have a steady income? How can I justify taking time off my busy schedule of emailing resumes to thoughtless computer systems?
You’re asking the wrong questions.
What if life is about doing these things, and you’re missing out on everything because of your job? Before you were restricted by a work schedule. Now you are free. It’s temporary. So make the best of it!
Unemployment: Upskill Away!
The third thing one must do during their quasi-retirement is upskill like crazy.
When you have a full-time job, you usually tell yourself two things:
a. If I’m going to spend my time studying, it’s going to be to perfect my skills for my current role… or
b. Why bother branching out further when I already have a job?
It’s like reading a book on dating and flirtation when you’re already married. Nobody prepares themselves for the possibility the relationship might not work out. It seems insane. And silly.
But now you’re between relationships, and you have no idea what’s coming next. You think you do, but if you’ve been around the block, you recognize that the possibilities are endless.
You might take a course and it completely throws you off the path you thought you were on. You might gain the skill that sends dozens of recruiters to your LinkedIn page.
You might make yourself significantly more marketable. Or you might not. You might simply enjoy the time more since, like seeing that old friend, when are you able to pick up new and interesting skills?
You’re already stuck in this new and frustrating situation. Might as well make the best of it and ensure that what you know by the time you’re employed again is greater than what you knew when you left the previous job.
Unemployment: Where Does Happiness Come From?
Finally, you need to remember that happiness and calm are all in your head.
If you choose for this period in your life to be productive and pleasant, it will be. If you choose for this period to be miserable, it also will be.
That’s why we see unhappy wealthy people and joyous poor people. Some face tragedies and persevere to create amazing lives for themselves, and others crumble under the weight of the difficulties they face.
The difference isn’t the circumstances, but the character of the person facing those circumstances.
But you can, of course, influence the way you perceive the time. If you spend it trying to find your path, rigidly looking for something amazing to do with your life, bonding with close friends, and learning new and exciting skills, it will go a long way toward keeping a smile on your face throughout the ordeal.
But it’s not enough.
You need to be a different you. A type of you that laughs at adversity and thrives under all conditions. You need to transcend your circumstances. Rise above the challenges life will inevitably throw your way.
You need to not just tolerate unemployment. You need to choose happiness.
