“We’re going to have to let you go, it’s just business.” About 6 years ago I worked as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer for a helicopter company, responsible for 4 helicopters which operated across Northern Alberta. I was paid well and highly skilled.
Today I’m sharing 3 critical life lessons I’ve learned from this experience to help my fellow entrepreneurs.
I was called into the owner's office in the middle of what seemed to be a normal Friday and was let go from my job.
My stomach felt like it was in my throat. What I thought was my “safe and secure” job ended up being just another roller coaster ride.
I was no stranger to losing my job, this wasn’t the first, the third, or even the fifth time I had been let go. This was the EIGHTH time in a row of being laid off. Yes, I said EIGHTH!
You must be thinking Chris you must be horrible at your job…
Well, not quite. The aviation industry is filled with ups and downs. Busy in the summer and little in the winter. Being laid off or let go seems to be a normal occurrence when starting out with little experience.
That said, I’ve learned from my setbacks and want to share the key areas with you today!
Life can be difficult sometimes, and I truly believe these difficult times shape who you are as a person and an entrepreneur. Have you ever lost a job before?
How did you feel when it happened? I’m guessing not good at all, just like I did.
Life has thrown all sorts of curveballs my way, all leading to the next WHAT NOW!?
Today I’ll be sharing my top 3 life lessons to help you let go, move up, and succeed in the game of entrepreneurship.
Sometimes or should I say most of the time when things don’t work out as you planned - it’s OK.
Have you ever read the book Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie? If you haven’t I highly recommend reading it. Carnegie goes into great detail as to why so many people are worried and stressed about things out of their control.
Was I upset about being let go? Absolutely, but I knew it was important for me to figure out the next step immediately. To figure out what I could control in the given situation.
That very night after work I messaged and called a bunch of different contacts. I received a callback and secured my next opportunity within 12 hours.
You can’t control everything and if you try you’ll be burnt out and exhausted.
Focus on what you can control and do your best in that specific situation.
When something catches you off guard and doesn't go the way you wanted, you may get stressed, anxious, and tense. Your breathing and heart rate increase and you make bad emotional-based decisions.
I’m going to share a technique used by special forces, Navy Seals, and firefighters. Allowing these individuals to stay relaxed and calm. To make split decisions in very high-stress and dangerous situations.
It’s called box breathing. It helps you focus on your breathing to slow your heart rate and make logical decisions.
You inhale for 4 seconds, pause for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and pause for 4 seconds. If I were to draw this out it would form the shape of a box - hence the name box breathing.
The next time you find yourself stressed about a situation give box breathing a try and make good decisions.
I could have given up after the 1st, or 2nd, or 3rd time I lost my job. Giving up is easy, and persisting is hard.
I want you to make a promise to yourself right now and say to yourself “I will never give up.”
Give it a try. And be sure to say it with conviction and belief.
Lots of people I graduated with had similar difficult experiences out of school. Some weren’t happy with the low pay and others didn’t like the up and downs of the industry.
Most of these people moved on fast and left the industry altogether looking for more money and better conditions - immediately.
I on the other hand knew if I could keep going if I could stay on track, day after day - not year after year, but day after day, that my situation would improve.
8 years and 8 jobs later, I was gaining traction (finally!).
I was making double if not triple what most of my classmates were, no matter what industry they were in, all while working less.
Having a resilient and determined mindset to never give up is a requirement for every entrepreneur. No matter what your given field or expertise.
Entrepreneurship is fast-paced, crazy, rewarding, exciting, and absolutely terrifying all at the same time. And being an entrepreneur isn’t for everyone.
If you can focus on the 3 life lessons I’ve talked about tonight:
You’ll be well on your way to not only improving your life but improving your business.
After getting laid off 8 times in a row, I understand firsthand the myth of being safe and secure in a normal day job.
Once I left aviation and started to work for myself I felt a sense of relief, control, and peace in my career and life.
When word got out that I had left, I was getting calls from multiple companies to see if I was available - not a chance!
And about a month ago I received a call from that same company that fired me 6 years ago. I let it go to voicemail, laughed to myself, never called them back and was proud that I was living life on my own terms as an entrepreneur, not someone else’s.
Being an entrepreneur is like riding a daily roller coaster. It’s fun but scary, rewarding yet risky, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.
Use these 3 life lessons to your advantage and move up in your own world of entrepreneurship today.
Chris M Wilson
Chris M Wilson is a career coach, entrepreneur, blogger, author, creator, and doer. He is passionate about helping people leave the job they hate and jump into their dream careers!
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