The economy is rough right now. Many of us are facing lay-offs and cut-backs. If you've lost your job, and nothing seems to be opening up for you, don't waste your time on being depressed and discouraged - you can use it to make life even better.
1. Time is a gift. Now that you don’t have a job, you have all the time in the world. After the stresses of losing your job, you may want to take a week to sleep in, but after that, take advantage of your open schedule. You can catch up on reading, have coffee with friends (or beer – but that can be expensive), people watch, write, and do all of the things for which you never had time before. Don’t waste it on being depressed and watching TV or movies – use it to replenish yourself. Most importantly, take the time to spend with your loved ones, whether it be friends or family. Relationships often take the backseat to the pressures of a job or career, and now you have time to enjoy them. Furthermore, these people will likely be the ones who carry you through the struggle.
2. Think. Make a list of your life - what you have prioritized, what you dislike about it, etc. Review how you have been doing things and think about what you want to do better. Have you always served as the Yes Man to your boss, and you want to stand up for yourself more? Have you found yourself in positions that brought out qualities that you dislike about yourself? Have you under-prioritized the things you really love in life? Think it over, and set how you want to do things from here on.
3. Invest, and turn adversity into opportunity. If you’re a seasoned professional and are able to pick up a new job right away, good for you. However, if nothing seems to be opening up on the horizon, don’t be discouraged. Use the time to invest in your future. You may want to take a class or gain a certification in a new area that you think will open new doors for you. Volunteering or taking on an unpaid internship is another great option - you meet new people, gain new contacts, and prove your capability. It also adds experiences and content to further include in your resume/portfolio. You can even take the time to re-define what you want out of your next job – do you want to switch careers? Do you want something in the same line but with different benefits? In simply thinking and gaining insight or direction, you have taken strides to improve your life.
4. Deepen your creativity. Everyone is creative in some fashion – I know this because my father is an accountant, and even he has pockets of creativity in his life. Creativity is essential to a quality life and to being a valuable member of a team. Whatever your creative interests are, whether they be analytical, fashion-oriented, artistic, or organizational, use this time to deepen them and stretch yourself. Give yourself homework in these areas, and track what you have done. You may be able to add it to a portfolio, and at the least, it will give you something to look back on with a sense of accomplishment. Often, when people take the time to pursue this aspect of their lives, they find they have something wholly different to offer the world and can start a business (which, while it requires tons of hard work, it is always so, so exciting).
Overall, the time off from work is a great period to invest in yourself, your talents, and your family. If you can stick your head in the sand against all of the stresses that are accumulating, continuing to work with the material in front of you, you can really grow yourself and become even more valuable to the workforce, hopefully with a richer quality of personal life as well.
