60 Day Review.
Sixty days of unemployment have flown by and after reflecting on the experience, there was a lot of good, some bad, and not too much ugly. Starting with the bad, I was becoming unmotivated with a lack of structure within my day. I would typically wake up at 6:00AM to go for a run but at the point of unemployment, there was no point in getting up that early. Within the first week, I was maintaining my schedule in order to apply for jobs throughout the day but once the interviews began, I became less motivated to continue this routine.
Each day I would hear a clock ticking in the back of my head, counting down the days until I would lose my benefits and wouldn’t be receiving pay anymore. Sixty days sounded like more time than it actually is because it flew by way too quickly. I blinked and all of a sudden I had two weeks until my deadline and luckily I was on the brink of securing full-time employment. With four offers on the table, I couldn’t believe I accomplished my goal just in the knick of time.
I will never forget the pure frustration of applying for hundreds of positions and never hearing back. Resorting to messaging people on LinkedIn to get my resume in their hands directly. Following up with hiring managers after being rejected, highlighting my experience and voicing my interest in the position. This was daunting and it crushed my spirits some days but I had to persevere in order to overcome this moment of adversity.
The most crushing part of the job search was the fact that I truly enjoyed my team at GoHealth. I’ve had jobs before that I absolutely hated and I couldn’t leave them quick enough but this was different. I worked well with the members on my team and I truly enjoyed the work that I did but in the end, it wasn’t meant to be. That had to be the ugliest part of the journey. At the end of the day I had to take a moment, remind myself to breathe, and believe that I would find something even better than what I had before. Each misstep in life leads to a better opportunity.
After a month, I began laying in bed until 8:30AM or 9:00AM to ‘kill some time’ before interviews or before I sat on the couch to knit the day away. Which brings me to the good…
Knitting has been one hobby that I have seen significant improvement within the last sixty days. Bigger projects, new techniques under my belt, and a growing yarn addiction. The biggest joy I have received from knitting has been giving my creations to friends and family. This hobby started with knitting my beautiful two year old niece a blanket which was followed by two more blankets for my nephews. The excitement on their face when they got their blankets is exactly the motivation I need to fuel my next project. I will continue learning new techniques and gaining more knowledge in order to challenge myself and create new projects for the people I love. Receiving a picture from my sister-in-law with the two boys sleeping with their blankets on top of them warmed my heart and produced the biggest smile across my face. I also know that if they didn’t like the blankets, I would’ve heard some brutal feedback which is the risk I take when my biggest ‘clients’ are children.
I was even able to make myself a cropped sweater vest, being the first piece of clothing I’ve ever knitted. This was a challenge but I could not be more thrilled with the finished product. I worked tirelessly at it, watched endless YouTube videos, and made adjustments to the pattern along the way to ensure it fit properly. With this project ending in success, the sky’s the limit! The next piece of clothing will be a little dress for my niece since she loves clothes so much! Stay tuned for more projects…
More good? Who would’ve thought I would find more good out of unemployment than bad?
With Colorado weather being absolutely perfect in my eyes, I’ve been spending a couple hours per day outside either walking, running, or hiking. My oldest brother asked me the other day “What do hippies like to call walking? Hiking!” I can always count on him for a good laugh but boy I am loving all the hiking trails at my fingertips. With the ability to stay active and get my steps in everyday I am down 10 pounds!!
My whole life I have always strived to create a balance in my workout routine and ‘diet’ but that has always been easier said than done. I have finally found a balance in my life and it has been working so well for me. On days that I don’t feel like working out, I go on a long walk or I walk to the store to get some errands accomplished. Not having two cars has really forced me to get creative and walking to the store has been a simple enjoyment that has brought me back to my city days living in Chicago. I never thought I would be someone to enjoy running but it has created a space in my day to reflect on everything going on and feel the sun on my face. Now in the month of October, I signed up to run 72 miles in 31 days! Now I have a goal in mind that I’m working towards and that drives me more than anything else.
I am thrilled with my personal development throughout this journey of being laid off but I’m also grateful I was able to find hobbies to fill my time. I have grown to love looking at knitting patterns, dissecting them to understand the skill sets needed, and jumping over to YouTube to see what I need to learn to make the project possible. Running further distances and seeing my times increase have been unbelievably motivating and shocking at the same time. I never thought I would be running six miles at a time but here I am and I’m loving the progress I’m making. Lastly, I accepted a full-time position and that feels relieving. I never thought I would be returning to the staffing industry but I really enjoyed the team that I interviewed with and had to go with my gut to choose the best position for me at this moment.
I have more good on the way but you’ll have to stay tuned in order to see what it is. I have a surprise for Friday… it will be here in a FLASH!
"The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection." - Thomas Paine.
