Amazon was one of the first high profile tech company to come out and announce plans for big layoffs to their workforce. As if not to want to come out first, and Amazon having cut the tension, other companies came out shortly after, including UPS with close to 50K job cuts. GM, Target and Paramount followed suit. In all, there has been total of some 100K job cuts last week alone, mostly in tech, and not counting smaller cuts at smaller companies.
As I kept coming across these job cuts headlines, I was feeling a bit uneasy and worried, if not for myself, for the broader economy and whether a recession is imminent – if we are not already in one. I mean no one is immune from job cuts an it could happen to anyone at anytime. As long as you are not working for yourself, you are at the risk of others.
Then it hit me: worrying about things I can’t control is useless, pointless and may even make things worse. This is not to suggest I should cheer on the news or think I am immune from it and should live my life worry-free. But how about I simply don’t worry or think about it too much and just live my life, do my job the best way possible, and most importantly, ensure I am on budget and saving money in case things take a turn for the worse. That is to approach the whole thing from a stoic prospective.
So what is stoicism anyway? Simply put, it is about mastering your mindset—focusing on what you can control and letting go of what you can’t. In this context, if you can’t control the job market or the economy as a whole, what is the point of worrying about it? Instead, put that energy into what you can control, which is your mindset, response to the news, how you do your job, school etc. Do these to the best of your ability and you will directly and indirectly shield yourself from all the negative news you hear.
When it comes to things you can control, put the extra effort and time to ensure you are not only doing them right, but excelling and going the extra mile. Are you in customer service? go the extra mile for your customers. Are you in sales? look at it as offering value and improving the lives of your clients than just selling. Are you in construction and trades? Do things as if you are doing it for your own home. The point is, don’t stress over what is outside of your control, and for those things that you have some control over, do it to the best of your ability and make yourself indispensable. In this world of AI, ordinary doesn’t cut it anymore. You need to be extraordinary and beyond.
Next time you find yourself stressing over something in the news or in the media, pause, think and ask yourself: is this something you can control? if not or you have little to no control, then move on. Alternatively, even if the news doesn’t affect you, you can use these times to sharpen your skills, learn new skills that are in demand and make yourself even more indispensable. As the famous saying in politics goes: “never let a crisis go to waste” . If you subjectively think of this economic reality as being a crisis, then take advantage of it and come out of it stronger and better than ever before, even if you are lucky and don’t lose your job. Win-Win!