Last week, I was unfortunately part of a large group of colleagues impacted by the latest wave of tech layoffs. As I have started to look ahead to what this next chapter my hold for me, interestingly enough, my mind has drifted back to what my friends and I used to refer to as the Gilbert Arenas Scenario.

For those who are unfamiliar, Gilbert Arenas was a three-time NBA All-Star in the early 2000s and today hosts the popular No Chill Podcast. However, he is perhaps most well known for his sudden fall from grace.

In 2008, following his third All-Star Game appearance, Gilbert Arenas signed a 6 year, $111 million contract with the Washington Wizards. However, when numerous injuries and some additional extracurricular activities led to a severely diminished on-court value, he was first traded to the Orlando Magic, then kindly asked to leave the NBA. And by “kindly,” I mean he was paid the remainder of his $62 million contract to simply take his ball and go home.

So what does this controversial former NBA star and his rapid decline have to do with a laid off product manager?

When Arenas was paid out and asked to never come back, it begged the question, what would you do if someone paid you $62 million to not come to work?

Like many others, I have often thought about my answer to this hypothetical scenario, but never before had it felt close to the realm of possibility. Until now.

While I don’t think I am violating any confidentiality agreements in saying that my severance package was nowhere close to the neighborhood of Gilbert’s $62 million, what I can say is that it’s the first time since I graduated college that I have been unemployed while remaining confident that I will be able to pay my rent next month.

So with that confidence in mind, the Gilbert Arenas Scenario becomes less of a hypothetical and more of a reality – what do I do with my time if I’m not getting up and going to work every day? In the days since the layoff, I certainly have not come up with all the answers, but I have at least created a goal framework to guide myself through this next chapter.

1. Maintain a morning routine. In a world devoid of weekly meetings, 1:1s, and stand ups, it can be very easy to ditch any semblance of routine or normalcy. Who needs an alarm when there’s no one waiting for you to log into a Zoom call? But without a solid morning routine, I would quickly find myself floundering without a purpose, and more importantly, without energy. So for this next chapter, I am challenging myself to maintain the morning routine I had established when I was gainfully employed, forcing myself to continue waking up at the same time, leaning into my daily meditation practice, and even sticking with the cold shower habit I have recently adopted.
2. Get a little better every day, mentally and physically. At first, I set myself a goal of “staying productive” throughout my funemployment chapter, but I have since reconsidered. What does “productivity” even mean? So instead of harping on some vague notion of productive outputs, I have chosen to focus on simple, small improvements every day to both my physical and mental well being. Key words here being “simple” and “small,” as I’m trying to cut myself as much slack as possible when it comes to determining success or failure on this daily goal. So far, examples of getting better physically have included going to yoga, hitting the gym, and taking a walk, but I have also given myself credit for accomplishing my goal after a much needed day of rest on the couch. On the mental improvement side, activities like contributing to this blog, going to a museum, and researching the job market have all counted toward my goal. But similarly, just the simple act of picking up a book rather than watching another episode of Seinfeld that I’ve already seen 20 times felt like a win in the mental sweat department. It’s all about the little things.
3. Be grateful and embrace the opportunity. Wading into the unemployment waters for the first time in over a decade, my gut reaction was littered with panic, fear, and shame. Being unemployed means I failed, right? What am I going to do now? How am I going to survive? But as the initial shock wore off, I started to recognize the gift I had just been given. Back when I was a senior in college, I remember the deep anxiety I felt every time a friend shared news that they had accepted a job offer, while I still had no idea what I was going to do after graduation. If I could go back in time, I would shake that nervous 22 year old and assure him that everything is going to be just fine. Well here I am, once again jobless and surrounded by people with jobs. But this time, I am able to give myself that necessary message: everything is going to be ok. I recognize that I am in an incredibly fortunate and privileged position to be able to take this time for myself without the risk of missing rent or not being able to put food on the table, without the stress of a family to support. That privilege is not lost on me, and I am determined to both take advantage of this time and continue to express my gratitude for it.
4. Think outside of the box. With such a unique opportunity in front of me, I want to keep myself open to whatever comes my way. Professionally, I have created a great niche for myself as an expert in B2B, enterprise SaaS product management, but with this little respite, I don’t need to confine myself to such strict boundaries. I can lean into past hobbies, like this blog, or maybe dive into that idea I’ve always had for a novel. Maybe I’ll become a museum guy, or finally learn the difference between a Pinot Noir and a Cabernet. As a relatively recent Colorado transplant, there are endless outdoor activities at my disposal. Maybe there’s a fly fisher in me, just waiting for a little funemployment time to burst onto the scene.

By keeping all of these goals at the forefront, I hope to maintain some structure and growth in my life, even if I don’t have a team or organization holding me accountable. At the same time, while I continue to work on myself and take advantage of this time, goal number five will be to find a great organization to join and product to work on. So if you or anyone you know is looking for a fantastic product manager, my DMs are open and I am #OpenToWork, as my LinkedIn would suggest.

But until I find that great new role, I will continue to lean on this framework I have created and take full advantage of this unique chapter. And who knows? Maybe it’s time to start a podcast and just fully lean into the Gilbert Arenas model. Minus the controversial fall from grace, of course.