You’ve Been Furloughed – Quit Bitching and Do Something About It

I live in Washington DC and the Government shut down as everyone has heard, and a heck of a lot of people are currently waiting to go back to work.  That doesn’t mean they are unemployed like when the steel mills closed in Pittsburgh and it isn’t something like getting rid of all oil refineries and drilling in Houston for good.  It doesn’t mean that people who are being furloughed won’t have an income again, it only means they have to wait until their jobs open again when the Government does.  I’ve seen a bunch of people saying poor me, complaining by saying Day 2 without pay or other things on Facebook and I feel felt bad until today.  I can understand being scared, nervous and anxious, but what I don’t like is that people are thinking about how horrible it is and doing nothing about it to make it better.  Years ago I started my company and was in a much worse situation than a temporary hold on my job.  I make money as an Affiliate, I make money from my clients and I did it because of certain situations that were much worse.  I was in a strange city with no savings, no income and no help (I was too proud and still am).

Yesterday you sat down and complained, today go out and do something to make it better! – Adam Riemer

During my career I’ve had times where I was scared I couldn’t pay rent.  I couldn’t go buy food and I never showed it to anyone.  There are always ups and downs.  The people who have been furloughed don’t have it easy because they are scared and some of them don’t have savings, but their jobs will come back and they will get paid again.  There is a difference between being furloughed and a full loss with no security.  With that said, I have met many millionaires and a lot of people who have used times like these to stop crying like a baby on Facebook and start doing something to help create a second or third stream of revenue and an extra sense of security.  Your job is on hold, I get it and I feel bad for you and know how scary it is. Whining, spending your day drinking or partying or watching tv isn’t going to help anything.  What you should be doing is looking to create another source of income or doing something to help make the community better.  Here are 5 things you could be doing right now if you were Furloughed and are scared.

1.  Buy a url and start your own site.  I have a ton of free tutorials that you can use on how to start a blog, how to make money with social media, monetize your site, etc…  All of this information is free.  It just takes time, effort and hard work to get going.  Guess what, every day you are not working because your job is on hold, not lost, you could be building a new site, building content and a following.  By doing this while you have time you could be creating a second stream of income in case things like this happen.  Yes, you won’t make money instantly, but right now you have a ton of time because you aren’t going to work that you could be doing something to help your situation, make more money and potentially go into business for yourself.  If you choose this route, leave a comment with a way to reach you and I will send you an email with my links to the vendors that I use and help you get started including some instructions.  There is nothing good that comes from complaining about being furloughed, instead you should be trying to build a business or create a new stream of revenue for yourself.

2.  Volunteer.  Maybe you have money saved up and aren’t worried.  You’re still complaining that your work is going to pile up, but you aren’t willing to go in and work for free.  (Some offices and buildings won’t let you, others can do their jobs remotely).  I personally would work regardless because that is just my personality and if I had a job and it was going to come back I would be there working at it regardless if the building was opened or I could work from home.  Most people don’t actually have that type of work ethic and for them, I don’t feel bad at all.  Instead of sitting there and complaining about everything negative with being furloughed, go to the animal rescue center and take a dog for a walk, help kittens or cats find a good home, give some of them a bath or do something to make their lives better.  These animals need you and you have time right now where you could be helping them.  If you don’t want to volunteer and help animals, find a different group.  Associations, non profits and organizations always need extra help.  Go volunteer and actually help make a difference for our community and city.  It won’t cost anything except bus fare if you don’t want to walk and you could be doing something to help someone or something else.

3.  Workout and do something healthy.  This is the perfect chance to start quitting those bad habits.  Start jogging, going to the gym, detox (since you won’t have to worry about embarrassing noises or accidents happening in an office) or do something that will benefit you health wise.  If you’ve always wanted to get into a new sport, now is the time to go try it.  You have the time that you would have been spending at work to learn and begin playing the new sport and even figure out if it’s for you.  There is absolutely no reason you cannot go running or do something to better your health and physical self (unless your doctor has told you not to and you should talk to your doctor before starting any new exercise or activity regardless) and that might help you feel better about being furloughed.

4.  Go visit your family.  Many of us are not from DC and probably don’t go home enough.  Instead of your normal going out or hanging out with friends, why not plan a trip home.  We have three airports, a train station and a ton of options for the bus.  This is the perfect time to go home and visit your family.

5.  Quit bitching!  Nothing good can come from you pitying yourself or complaining about work shutting down.  If you really want work go find a non government job at a restaurant, a non profit or somewhere else.  Nothing is stopping you from not looking and finding something else.  You can control what happens in this situation.  You can help make your city or neighborhood better, start a company, help someone else or something else like a dog or cat that would love your attention, or do something that will make this a better place.  Yesterday you sat down and complained, today go out and do something to make it better!

You cannot tell me that I don’t understand what it is like to be furloughed.  To be honest I don’t.  What I do know is that I have been unemployed with no help, no security and scared and I think that is a lot worse.  If the government disappears everyone is screwed.  That will probably not happen so this is a very temporary situation.  It is now up to you to figure out how to make it better for yourself and the people around you.  Many of the most successful Affiliates and business owners who are now millionaires and  build multimillion dollar companies were unemployed, one who I care about a lot was living out of their car (I won’t say who), another one in a trailer with a kid, and many were much worse off than you.  Look at J.K. Rowling.  She was in a bad situation and took her life in her own hands to build an empire.  This could be the perfect time for you to do the same.  I’m sorry if you don’t agree with this, but if you don’t, you probably shouldn’t be reading this blog.  If you see what I am trying to say, then you probably have the same entrepreneurial spirit and will use this time to make your own or someone else’s life better.