Introduction

In modern times, stress is often regarded as the greatest villain in history. However, I believe it can be the greatest gift if we know how to manage it; otherwise, it can live up to its name. Uncertainty is the state of mind that precedes stress. While remaining in this state can be challenging, I personally enjoy it as it serves as an energy source for my mind. All of this occurs in the metaphysical state of mind, which I will attempt to explain in the best possible way.

Job loss taught me a new skill.

Every experience teaches us something new if we choose to learn from it. There’s no greater teacher than our own experience. We only remember what we do with our muscle memory; everything else is just information.

The best way to learn is to reflect and ask ourselves:

• What happened?
• What went well?
• What could be improved?

Most people in the technology industry might be familiar with these terms as part of the Scrum framework. During Scrum introspection sessions, we usually ask these self-reflection-oriented questions. However, I never asked these questions daily at the end of the day.

The new skill I learned from losing my job is:

• How can I incorporate the processes that I use at work into my personal life?
• Can I connect the dots between corporate and personal life regarding the process? It turns out that it is possible.
• Are there additional practices that I should incorporate, like a work breakdown structure?

I started running my day like a sprint cycle, shrinking typical two-week cycles into 16-hour cycles by incorporating sprint planning, monitoring, progress, closing, and introspection. It might sound geeky, but as I think more and more about this topic, I realize that an organization is simply a large group of people working together toward a mission, doing their jobs. If a process works for so many diverse people to keep the engine running, why can’t I use the same process for my personal project, such as a job search? Maybe this is the by-product of being a computer science student 🙂

By thinking systematically, just like how we mitigate risk and uncertainty in work projects, I could also eliminate some level of risk and uncertainty in my day-to-day actions by implementing these processes. Did it work? Yes, it did.

Telling a different story.

Every day, I remind myself that this is one of the best things happening to me. I was fortunate to apply the training I received through coaching from one of the best coaches I have ever worked with. The more I tell myself that this is a short-term test, the easier it becomes to cope. My mind can provide some relief by offering flash sales and discounts to “ease the pain.”

When speaking to kids or family members, I try to be encouraging and reassure them that this is only a temporary setback. Because of my careful wording, the reticular activation system in my brain focuses on the possibilities.

Despite the constant news of layoffs, my job situation became a short-term block. The Fed is raising interest rates to slow down inflation.

But I loved the uncertainty since I am in a flow state.

After going through this experience, if someone were to ask me if I would do it again, I would say YES without hesitation. This is not to share stories of victory but rather to share the state of my mind and how much stronger it became after this experience. Every morning, I used to wake up with one question: Is today the last day of my job search? The answer was always no.

I needed to work on improving my skills, applying for more jobs, attending interviews, and managing my energy. My mind would give me a list of things to focus on, always reminding me to stay focused on the task at hand.

I used 45-minute time blocks to complete each task and then spent the next 5 minutes focusing on my breath, followed by 5 minutes reflecting on what I learned and planning my next task in the last 6 minutes. I repeated this cycle every waking hour.

For most of the day, I was in a flow state and not distracted because a timer was running in front of me, and I had set my intention. Over two weeks, I felt happier as I saw myself making quick progress due to my singular focus. I believe that the flow state is what our minds crave, like doing a study activity without noticing the time. I no longer looked at the clock to see when it would end. I was always excited to do the next time-blocked focus session.

Each day, I completed at least 3-4 focus sessions, which is like studying for 4 hours with laser-like focus. My mind was so focused that all distractions disappeared while I was in search mode.

Everyday uncomfortable feeling in the morning.

Although I may sound positive, every morning, I have to drag myself out of a negative state of mind and second-guess my abilities. It’s a battle that lasts for a short period in the morning which I need to win.

One thing that really helped me is meditation. My partner and I learned the Shambhavi Mahamudra from Sadhguru, which we both started practicing consistently a couple of weeks before the layoff. We continued the process, which tremendously helped us stay healthy and focused. The effect of meditation is like day and night. Before meditation, all the demons in my mind used to have a party, but once the meditation session was completed, I was ready to complete what I planned to do.

I love the uncertainty since I am in a flow state.

Conclusion.

There is no easy way to explain how to fall in love with uncertainty until you experience it. It’s not always easy to stay positive, but additional practices like meditation and writing morning pages can help clear your mind. Remember that all of the drama is happening in your mind, and it needs to be tamed to make good progress.

Once you develop the habit of practicing these techniques, connecting the dots becomes super easy. For example, meditation helps clear the mind, a clear mind helps plan the day effectively, and an effective day helps you get into a flow state to study and fill skill gaps. Additional skills combined with processes help you reach your destination (finding a job) with ease.

By publishing my story, I hope to help someone who is in the same boat. If I can help at least one additional person, I believe I have reached my goal of contributing positively to the world.

What do you think you would have done?

Can you think of any additional processes that may help?