Caution: Only Listen When Struggling

When I got fired by Facebook, I was super depressed.

It kicked off a year of depression, anger, and trying to find a new identity for yourself.

I packed all my stuff, left the home I had with other Facebook employees, bought a pack of cigarettes… and moved to my real friend’s couch.

It felt like I lost everything.

Last night, I was talking to a successful friend who was fired from a high-profile job. It reminded me a lot of my time at Facebook.

So I recorded this voice memo that I WISH someone told me all those years ago, for my friend, and for you if you’re struggling.

I hope it reminds you of your worth, and that you CAN make shit better.

Here are 4 lessons I shared with my friend:

1. Start to figure out what you really want. I’m not going to tell you it’s easy to figure out what you want right away… it’s something I still struggle with. But it’s your responsibility to start figuring it out.

   To start, write out where you want to be in three months:

   1. Who are you?
   2. What are you working on?
   3. How are you feeling?
   4. What have you accomplished?
   5. What’s exciting for you?

1. Small wins. Start doing something small daily. You have full control over these things, so use them to build your self-confidence back up. It can be anything:
   1. Writing
   2. Going to the gym
   3. Calling your mom
2. Get accountability. When we’re struggling, it’s easy for us to feel that EVERYTHING is on us alone. That’s NOT true. Understand that you’re not alone. There are always people out there who CARE about you and want to help you. Get them to hold you accountable and help you move forward in the right direction.
3. Sleep. When a day sucks, I go to sleep. When I wake up, I’m grateful that I’m still alive and have work to do. It just makes me feel better.

If you’re struggling, I feel for you. Try these four things above and let me know how it goes.

P.S. Today’s the LAST DAY to enter my giveaway for Small Business Month. Everyone wins!