Layoffs Lead to Life Changes

Every day we’re reading new stories about corporate layoffs. Thousands of employees are shown the door on a moment’s notice… forced to completely rethink how they’ll put food on the table, get back in the corporate rat race, and continue their career.

Now I know that a pink slip is nothing to smile about but maybe, just maybe, this is a blessing in disguise. Let’s say you’re getting severance. That means you now have anywhere from a few months to perhaps even a year before your income dries up.

So what should you do with that time? How about figuring out how to work less and earn more? Here’s five steps you could take, starting today, to begin your journey:

1. List your strengths: Are you great with spreadsheets? Do you know how to close a sale? Can you fix a broken appliance in minutes? Look back on your previous jobs and figure out your strengths.
2. List your passions: Do you love to present in front of a live audience? Do you cherish writing short stories or keeping a journal? Don’t think moneymaking here, just what you love.
3. Find the intersection of your strengths and passion: The meeting point of your strengths and passion is the sweet spot. This is where you can really make your money. For me, I’m strong in talent management and have a passion for writing. That’s why my book made perfect sense. What about you?
4. Draw a line in the sand: How much money do you want to make and in how many hours do you want to earn it. For me, when I left my corporate job, the goal was to make more than double my corporate salary in half the working hours. What’s your goal?
5. Find work to meet your goals: Look for consulting work, freelance opportunities, work from home gigs, really anything that can meet your working and earning goals. It might even be passive income opportunities like real estate investing or internet marketing.

Take that first step and you’ll find it gets easier as the steps progress. Before you know it you’ll be working less and earning more than ever before. Not a bad outcome for someone who just got laid off.