living with uncertainty
In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, I spent most of my working hours alone in a wonky conference room converted into an office, holding on to my desk for dear life. I had just moved back to New York from California, taken the New York bar exam in July, and was excited to dig into work — then the financial crisis hit.
Things felt really unstable. I obsessively read Above the Law and played a word game I was terrible at on Facebook with my colleagues. We were all afraid to leave our desks. I was billing 40 hours—not in a week, but in a month.
I tried to make the most of the free time. I went to yoga at lunch occasionally. I took a French class in the evenings. I was still freaking out. I developed a searing pain in my shoulder (from stress) that landed me in PT three days a week. Looking back, here’s what I learned — and what I would do differently today:
Isolate less and connect more, both with colleagues and with people outside my firm, to gain perspective.
Spend more time learning new skills that related to my work. French and yoga were great but I was missing a lot of on-the-job learning because there just wasn't that much work. Take advantage of any training your organization offers. Seek out additional learning available from industry organizations.
Get exercise every day. (I had no kids — what was I doing with my time?)
Cultivate more gratitude and acknowledge my privilege more meaningfully.
Find a volunteer opportunity. (I did register voters! See photo evidence.)
Keep the current moment in perspective. Nothing is permanent. Ups and downs are part of the cycle. I had experienced the impact of economic downturns on my career before 2008 and would again in the future...
Remember that life goes on. In 2009, in addition to white knuckling it at my desk, I also got engaged, moved to a new apartment, and went to a wedding in France with my in-laws-to-be.
One thing I did learn from watching friends and colleagues affected by those layoffs? They all landed on their feet. And a few of them landed in spectacular roles — ones they never would have found if they hadn’t been in career transition.
If you’re navigating a layoff or uncertainty right now, know that you’re not alone. And if you need support or perspective on how to move forward, reach out.
