Layoff Journal Week 10 - Mechanics
Happy Memorial Day to all those in the US. A special thank you to those in the service and those who served. I hope you all enjoyed the unofficial start to Summer. I know we certainly did. Our family spent the weekend with good friends, good board games, and a rental house that included a pool. It was a perfect start to the Summer and a great way to get back up and around again after being sick so much in May.
We played a lot of great games (not strictly endorsing here, no affiliate links or anything, and in no particular order), namely: Hamburg, Planet Unknown, Next Station: London, Iki, Isle of Cats, Who Should We Eat, and more. What I enjoy most about new games is learning their mechanics. This one is a worker placement game. That one is an engine-building game. Let’s break down some of the mechanics of the layoff game (not to make light of layoffs, but games can be pretty serious.)
Looking Back - Setup Mechanics
Each game has a setup phase; getting all the pieces into place is critical to starting the game on the right foot. As some of us enter our 10th week, there are a lot of unfortunate friends who are just beginning their journey. Pass this journal along to them, give them a word of encouragement, and help them however you can. Those first few weeks are hard.
This LifeHacker article has a handful of tips for helping others, and if any of these are things I can do to help you, please let me know. I’ll be happy to help you all out. (5 min read)
Looking Forward - Overwhelming Mechanics
The process of job searching, finding the right job search site, networking, and all the rest has been overwhelming. It’s been tricky to manage, even to the point of wondering how I’d fit a full-time job into the day with all these activities. It’s a lot of plate-spinning, juggling, or whatever analogy fits best for you.
This HBR article has some great suggestions for managing around mistakes we make when we’re overwhelmed, and I couldn’t think of a time that I’ve been more overwhelmed than being laid off for ten weeks. (5 min read)
Today’s Tip - Mechanics of Joy
Dessert is important. It’s the thing that puts that final finish on a great meal. It’s the reward at the end of the day. Find that thing that brings you joy and add it to your day. It doesn’t have to be food. Finding something that lets you enjoy a bit of fun every day will give you that serotonin and dopamine hits to get through another day. It’s a great way to end each day on a high note, no matter how bad. Finding some great comedies, tasty snacks, a good book, or whatever it is, that helps you end the day on a high note.
Fun Stuff
Final Words
If I can help with your search, please get in touch with me. Please give me feedback on what you like or don’t care for in this newsletter, and I’ll adjust. For total transparency, I have no affiliation with any of the tools, companies, or resources I share. These are my impressions, not tainted by any outside influences.
https://onlynewmistakes.com/
Regarding the work to search for a job: I still think that there is a market for a good portal for jobseekers. I am thinking now it should integrate multiple job sites.
I remember presenting a not-very-well-prepared idea of this to you in Incubator, but I have more ideas about it now.
Good luck to you!