What I’ve Been Doing

Like so many of my friends and colleagues, my full-time job was recently eliminated as a direct result of financial pressures brought on by the rapid spread of COVID-19.

This decision was neither shocking nor surprising to me. I made a conscious decision to pivot into the event industry in June 2019, to apply my content experience to producing health care conferences that convene a wide range of stakeholders to discuss challenges, opportunities, and trends. I harbor no ill will toward my former employer and wish my colleagues the best of luck in navigating such a difficult market at such a difficult time.

The last few days have been…well, they’ve been interesting. I started working in February 1997, midway through my sophomore year of high school, at the local grocery store where my mother also worked. I left in the spring of my senior year of high school, only to come back during winter break of my first year of college and then again during other breaks. (Apparently college is a little more fun when you have some spending money of your own. Who knew?) I took a work-study job on campus my sophomore year, balanced the grocery store and an internship that summer, and have basically worked at least one job ever since.

Waking up Monday morning with no job to go to felt a bit weird. I’d love to try to find a more eloquent way to describe it, but, well, it was just weird. It’s not so much that I don’t have a steady paycheck; rather, it’s that I don’t have a specific job to do.

With that in mind, I’ve managed to find a few things to do to keep myself occupied.

Learn Excel. As a writer, I typically use Excel as a way to organize data in pretty charts, not as a way to make calculations. Over the last few days, I’ve spent some time on the Microsoft Excel learning site watching tutorial videos and reading articles so I can do a lot more with spreadsheets. I still have a way to go, but at least now I can write basic formulas.

Clean the house. In the last several months, I walked past the stovetop no less than 56 times and thought, “Wow, that’s a mess. I should clean it.” This week I finally did. While it won’t help me get paid, it’s an accomplishment nonetheless. Since then I have tried to focus on one room of the house at a time. Setting small, incremental goals has always help keep me focused.

Join professional organizations. As I focus on freelance work, I’ve been looking at professional organizations that match my interests and skill sets. These include the Association of Health Care Journalists and the American Society of Business Publication Editors. (If you’re joined similar groups, I’m open to recommendations.)

Reach out to former colleagues. I have been humbled at the gracious offerings of support that I have received from former colleagues. New assignments, introductions to those who are looking for work, and even simple well wishes have helped boost my confidence amid so much uncertainty and (gestures widely). The support and outreach has also shown me that there is work out there.

Get it together, man. I work best when I am organized. The last few days have given me a change to put things in their place — new email folders, new desktop folders, new lists of opportunities, updated spreadsheets, adding deadlines to my calendar, etc. Much like cleaning the stove, it’s given me a good sense of accomplishment. It’s also helping me prepare for the work that I’m beginning to do.

Zone out. I have to admit that I’ve taken a little bit of time for myself. My guilty pleasure is Dr. Mario on the NES Classic.

The last few days have represented a “new normal” for me (and countless others, I’m sure). Keeping busy in a productive way has helped me prepare mentally for what lies ahead and take away some of the uncertainty about what’s next. If you face similar professional or personal uncertainty, I hope you’re able to do the same.