I am sitting in this auditorium with 50 other coworkers.

Our manager and the HR lady are there. They hand us paper and a pen, and that's when I realize we are all being fired. We had only been working there for over a year.

In that year, my wife and I bought an apartment that cost us $1800 per month. That alone was more than what I made in my previous job.

From one day to the next, I was unemployed and +200k in debt.

Here are the lessons I learned.

Lesson #1 When People Are Fearful Is Time To Get Prepared

The job market is like the stock market.

When the media says that a company is doing amazingly well(stock price rises)

Most people rush to buy it
Smart investors hold or sell

When the media says that a company is going through tough times(stock price falls)

Most people sell desperately
Smart investors buy more

The job market behaves the same way

When the media says that tech jobs are in high demand

Most people start to get prepared to get a tech job
Smart people are already prepared

When the media says that the tech sector will lay off 40k jobs

Most people give up on finding a tech job and go do something else
Smart people get prepared

Get prepared when most people are discouraged and you'll come out ahead.

Lesson #2 When People Are Fearful There Is Less Competition

Bad news clears away the weak-minded competition.

When most people are reluctant about the future, there are only a few consistent and diligent cats putting in the effort to get what they want(hopefully you are one of them)

This plummets the candidates per job ratio.

When hiring resumes, guess who is getting the jobs?

Lesson #3 Get Practical. Focus On What Is Within Your Control

I sure didn't want to be fired, we had just bought an apartment!

My bank account was as dry as the desert.

Did I whine and moan about how unfair life was?

Shit no, I saw that time as an opportunity and I went and got my commercial pilot's license during that time.

We spend far too much energy focusing on what is out of our control.

It's wasted energy since there is nothing you can do about it.

I learned to reframe the problem into a question that focuses on what I can do.

For example:
Big techs are laying people off and there are fewer jobs.

Reframe it to:
What can I do to improve my chances of getting hired now that big techs are laying people off and there are fewer jobs?

Lesson #4 Rethink Your Lifestyle And Priorities

As a flight attendant, I made 6x what I used to in IT Support.

The same was true for most of my colleagues. But then, most of them upscaled their lifestyle to match their bigger salary. 1 year later, they were used to driving a new car, wearing fancy clothes, and eating at expensive restaurants.

After getting fired, they had an awful time downscaling their newly acquired tastes and handing over their new cars to the bank.

I was the same old dude, driving my old car, wearing the same clothes, and still eating cheaply.

The most important stuff in life costs little or nothing.

A good book
Quality time with your family
Coffee with a friend
A walk in nature

Less stuff, more knowledge, and experiences.

Lesson #5 Consistency Pays Off

I didn't learn this one when I was laid off(just couldn't leave it out of the list)

This one took me a long time and many shoves to understand.

I know how hard it is to keep consistent when all the odds seem to be against you.

The reality is that nothing that has the potential to change your life will happen in a month. Meaningful things like great work take time to be created. If you want to escape mediocrity, you have no other choice but to learn to be consistent.

If you are like I was, you'll probably need to read:

Can't Hurt Me (David Goggins)
So Good They Can't Ignore You (Cal Newport)

Conclusion

Life is not a straight line.

At times you are on top, at others you are at the bottom. What you'll always have is the choice to focus your energy where you are now or where you want to go. Learn to choose the apple over ice cream, the book over Netflix.

If you:

Get prepared when people are fearful and competition is the lowest
Get practical and focus on what is within your control
Rethink your lifestyle and priorities
And be consistent

I guarantee you'll be ahead of 97% of those around you within a year.

Note: This post above all is a reminder to myself. The closest ears to my mouth are my own.

5 Life-Changing Lessons I Learned From Being Laid Off That Will Put You Ahead Of 97% Of People