Forced Transitions and Personal Development

I know that with the economy the way it is, a lot of people that lose their jobs or careers are going to immediately just try and get back to doing the exact same thing they were doing before. I totally understand how that can be our default reaction. I’ve been thinking about how personal development could maybe give us a new perspective when we have these types of opportunities, and yes I do mean opportunities.

I got laid off two different times in the last decade. The first was at the end of 2019 and was the first time I had been laid off and was only my second career transition moment ever. The second was in late 2022. I personally wish that I had handled both of those situations differently.

What I Did

In the first layoff scenario, I immediately reached out to someone that had asked me to do some freelance work for them. Their first piece of advice was for me to take the holidays (I got laid off on Dec 9th) and then reach out. Within a month I had set up an LLC and started helping them build a whole new piece of their business. Much of that was very new to me but it immediately got me back to where I was bringing in income, and eventually it was really good income.

Later in 2020 I was recruited to work for a large Silicon Valley company. It felt like it was too good of an opportunity to pass up so I made the leap and about two years later, found myself unemployed.

I went right back to my LLC and started doing some things I thought would be much more interesting like launching a couple of podcasts and some coaching and team development services. Eventually I was contacted to go back into the more technical space and help another client work through some technology and other changes. That led to an offer for full time employment, which again, I felt was too good to pass up. That only lasted 9 months (for reasons that are probably a whole other blog post).

What I can see now looking back on those situations, is how I decided to take the easier path. Sticking with what I was already familiar and comfortable with as well as putting more emphasis on the steady paycheck. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that if those things align with your goals, priorities, and the kind of life you want. In my case, they really did not but I could only see that after the fact. Why? Because I was not deliberate enough with my own personal development.

What I Wish I Had Done

First, I wish that I had been more focused on my own personal development before these transition points appeared instead of just being focused on the next position, promotion, raise, etc. If I had done the things I have been advocate and that I lay out in my online course, I would have realized that there were other things I was looking for even though I didn’t know it. These priorities were ones that were starting to emerge as my life circumstances changed. For example, flexibility is a much higher priority for me. The huge move to work from home taught me that I could work from anywhere. While my last two companies allowed, that, the other part of flexibility I craved was working on my own schedule and that just didn’t come with corporate jobs at the level I was involved in.

Second, I wish that I had been more honest with myself on how my goals had changed. The first time I was independent, I got a taste for what it was like to have way more freedom. After my second layoff, that became even more important as I went through a period of time where both my parents passed away within 90 days of each other and the only way I could make it through that was by being able to make work second to those family priorities.

Instead of taking time to re-evaluate what my goals and priorities were at that time, I just fell back into the goal of striving to have a massive impact on an organization and making really good money as I did so. That was how I saw it in my mind. I justified the complacency by saying I was going to make a difference, which is a core motivator to me, and that the other aspects I needed to just deal with to do so were part of the sacrifice I needed to make.

Which leads me to the third piece - I wish I had stopped and realized that I can make a difference without having to go back into that corporate culture that seems to take more than it gives, no much how big your compensation package is. If I had stopped to think about that, I may not have taken the second or third full time positions. I also believe that if I had really done that introspective work, I would have actually worked harder and put in more time and effort to building the independent business vs. just sticking with one client that was consuming most of my time. It would have been a very different approach.

What’s the Recommendation

First, if you are moving into a forced transition, you need to stop and breathe. I know that is very hard to do. If you are like I was and all of the household income, or most of it, came from your employment, then there is this huge bit of panic about how you are going to pay the mortgage or feed the family and you think you just have to get right back into it. I understand, but I don’t recommend it.

Second, take some time to stop and evaluate who you are, where you are in life, who you want to be, and where you want to go in life. This may mean taking another look at your priorities, values, personality style, strengths, potential pitfalls, etc. and seeing if the path you were following still aligns or if a course correction might be the better path.

Third, rebuild your personal development plan and identify the first simple steps you can take to get you started down the right path (new or old). Remember, don't try and tackle the biggest things first. Instead, identify small things you can do to help you progress, build momentum, and illuminate additional steps you may need to take.

Fourth, get going and as I keep saying, embrace course correction.

I wish I had been more deliberate about those other transitions. Right now, I am working on being very deliberate in my current transition. I was the one that decided to move on from my last company and I'm actively exploring paths that better align with my current priorities and goals. I'm taking one simple step after another and doing my best to embrace course correction as it comes up.

If you find yourself in a forced transition, do yourself a favor and take just a few days to follow these four steps. What do you have to lose?

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