My heart started to beat faster for a while, but then it settled back to its normal rhythm. I pretty much knew what this discussion was all about and quite frankly it didn’t come to me as a surprise.

Later that day, somewhere around 1:40 p.m., the company I worked with for over 14 years because of the economical reasons laid me off. The beginning of 2013 had been quiet on the project front and the company had started lay-off negotiations some weeks before. In that sense, I could expect what was coming.

However, getting laid-off didn’t make me feel sad at all and in fact, I was relieved and happy. Naturally this was just my experience of what happened and for someone else this would have meant the end of the world.

Like a slap in the face

Getting laid off is never nice – no matter how much you hate your job or even if you expect it to happen (and secretly wish it would happen some day like me). For many, it’s like a slap in the face or unexpectedly pulling a rug from under one’s feet.

All of a sudden, all your plans and your whole future may seem uncertain and you start having these bad dreams of living under the boat.

When you consider that the steady monthly income, daily routines that you had, and the safety that came with it is now gone, its no wonder that people are afraid of the situation.

I know that this would have felt the same if I didn’t expect what was coming. In that situation, losing a job would have been a shock and I wouldn’t felt as good as I’m feeling right now.

But since I was mentally prepared and I knew exactly what to do if this kind of situation would ever occur, things were different in my case.

The fear of the unexpected

Okay, so I felt fine with what happened as I was prepared, but what makes the next person live his/her life as usual – without preparing for the worst?

First, it forces people to think about their future. Unfortunately, not all of the people have a clear idea what they really want to do “when they grow up”. Maybe getting into this unknown territory is just too terrifying, thus this kicks in the internal resistance towards thinking about the future in the first place.

Second, they feel comfortable about their current position. This is actually what many of my colleagues expressed to me during the years when we talked about our dreams and hopes for the future.

They were stuck with the job, which they didn’t necessarily like, but yet, it provided them a steady income from month to month. And because of this very reason, they didn’t have to think any further about their future or step outside their comfort zones.

Finally, some people might think that getting laid off may never happen to them, thus it eliminates the need for thinking about it at all. Unfortunately, I heard stories of people who were fully employed, doing a great job, and still got kicked out of their jobs unexpectedly.

With all these reasons, it’s easy to see why thinking about what you really want to do with your future may not be your #1 priority. However, I still strongly encourage you to do this thinking now – rather than when you are forced to do it.