I Got Laid Off and Wrote a Book in 30 Days

A month ago, my company laid me off after fifteen years. At first, I was surprised and disappointed, but then I turned my experience into a positive one. I wrote a book about my journey called, “Layoff Reboot: How I Skipped the Job Search and Discovered What I Love.”

Book available via Amazon.com 

I gave myself three months to figure it out, and put aside my job search, embarking instead on a process to discover what I wanted to do next in my career.

My layoff was partly a blessing in disguise. In my old job, I struggled with being a workaholic and a perfectionist. It took years to find a balance between my work and personal life.

I wasn’t really happy, but I was afraid to make a move to something new. How long would I have stayed at my company–another one, two, or even five years? Tough to say, but I’m grateful the catalyst came when it did because it forced me to evaluate what I was doing with my life.

As I wrote my book, something magical happened–I had fun! While the self-publishing process from start to finish was intense, it’s also easier now than ever before because of the proliferation of online tools and advice.

I started this blog to tell others about my book—how I spent my time to “reboot” my life in a new direction.

But I also want to share more than that. I want to help others who may dream about writing a book or starting a business.

It’s easier than you think, once you commit.

I finished writing my book in thirty days because I followed a plan. By breaking down my work into small pieces, I challenged myself each day.

When friends asked about my book recently, I could barely contain my excitement. I’ve learned so much in a short time.

For weeks now, I’ve woken up in the middle of the night with a brain full of ideas to tell others how I did this and how they can too. Look to this space to see how I’ll combine my project management worldview with all the new knowledge I’ve learned (and am still learning every day) about self-publishing and entrepreneurship.