Welp, Christmas has come and gone, and the new year has been rung in. And what a new year it’s been!
On Monday, January 8th 2018, I was informed that I was one of the lucky folks to participate in company layoffs. Being the third round of layoffs in a year, I wasn’t entirely shocked. And yet, I didn’t see it coming. According to my (former) boss, it had nothing to do with my work and everything to do with their financial situation.
Left without work without any warning whatsoever isn’t fun. And yet, there’s a tinge of excitement that comes from the prospect of new, well, prospects. And, of course, there’s the love and support from my friends and family.
I’m a pretty private person, only updating my Facebook account with Star Wars memes and board game giveaways (sorry, guys…). But I decided to let my network know I was looking for work, just in case someone had a lead I could grab hold of. What was my surprise when dozens of friends – some I never talk to anymore – sent me links to jobs, or gave their name as a reference to some place they’ve worked previously. Everyone is looking out for me. Maybe it’s because they hate to see my wife and kids in this situation and don’t care a lick about what I’m doing, but I’ve been amazed at the outreach and support. And if it’s all because of my wife and kids, then that’s cool, too.
It hasn’t been a full week yet, but I’ve been very busy looking for a new job. I’ve enrolled in unemployment, which is something I never thought I would do. It’s all kinds of crazy, but the future is bright. I’m sure my job searching will slow down once I’ve exhausted my resources, and when that happens, I have plans.
- Read Oathbringer
Yes, I know, I need to get on that. I’ve been dying to read it since I picked it up and had it signed at the midnight release party. I’ve been pretty busy since then, but now with some time to kill, I’m looking forward to tackling that book.
2. Edit Beneath the Haze
This has been on the back burner for quite some time now, but it’s finally time to crank up the heat on it. It is so close to being ready for beta readers, and once I reach that step, I’ll be even closer to publication. I have high hopes for this novel, and this job loss might be the best thing that’s ever happened to it.
3. Polish my short stories
I wrote about eight (I think) short stories during NaNoWriMo in 2017, and I would love to polish them up. Once that happens, I’ll upload a few of them here to this site for your reading pleasure.
4. Finish my board game design
I’ve had a board game design in the works since the beginning of 2017 and, just like my current novel, it is so close to being done. I’d love to work out any final kinks and bring it to SaltCon in March for random people to play test.
5. Exercise
I joined a weight loss challenge that started with the new year, and while I’ve been making it to the gym pretty frequently, it has been rather difficult with my job. Now, of course, I have all the time in the world, so getting to the gym is much easier. Also, I find that hitting the gym during regular work hours is much better than before or after the 8-5 schedule most people follow.
I will be working hard to find a new job, of course, but in the interim, I do plan on accomplishing other things as well. I look forward to what the future has to offer, and am excited for the extra time with my projects and, most importantly, my family.
You have some exciting things in the works. The future is, indeed, bright.