Life’s too short to dread Mondays

What a layoff, Newton’s laws, and a decade of change taught me

In 2015, I got laid off.

Well, technically, I spent a year waiting, staring at the writing on the wall, clinging on, hoping. We all did. But oil prices didn't magically bounce back. Clients didn't return.

By May 2016, it was officially over.

This was the end of my days as a petroleum geophysicist, working for companies chasing oil and gas discoveries. For years I had defended my industry, always searching for reasons why what I did was a good thing. Deep down, I knew this layoff was a blessing. But this awareness took its time to reach the surface. Lots of layers of fear, doubt, identity chaos, and financial uncertainty to go through. And how this all happened is a story for a different time.

I'm now approaching the ten-year anniversary of the tipping of that first domino. That event, triggered by so many external forces totally outside of my control, sent my career and my entire life in a completely different and unexpected direction.

🧠 What Newton knew (and why it matters for your life and career)

Sir Isaac Newton - yes, the gravity guy - formulated this rule of motion:

A body remains at rest, or in motion at a constant speed in a straight line, unless it is acted upon by a force.

Newton was probably only talking about physics, but this rule is so useful in many areas of life.

We tend to keep moving in the same direction - same job, same routines, same traditions, same route to work - until something external forces us to stop, re-evaluate, and maybe change course. Sometimes it's a gentle nudge. Other times, it's a dramatic layoff or an even more dramatic life event that throws everything up in the air.

In my case, it was a career that had slowly stopped making sense, but that I kept clinging to because it was what I knew. What I was supposed to want. On paper, it was all great: a decent salary, a short commute, a nice office, work that sounded impressive when people asked "so what do you do?"

But really? It must have been a sign that I got extremely annoyed whenever someone said "I love my job!" I was a prime example of an object at a constant speed in a straight line. It took an outside force - a "crisis" - to wake me up from that zombie state.

🔍 What ten years taught me

What is the biggest thing I've learned during this decade as a career explorer?

Get clear on your values - they are your north star.

Not because they will give you a nice title. Not to get more impact points. Not because you follow someone else's definition of success.

I used to think this talk about values was a bit fluffy. I was so wrong.

I've learned that values are the compass I can always come back to, no matter how stormy things get. They help me make decisions faster, communicate more clearly, and build a career and life that feels right for me.

A good example of how my values guide me is the one I wrote about here. Because I value health so much, it would be a recipe for disaster for me to choose a career with hours of commute, late nights, and lots of wining and dining.

I've also learned this:

Even if a job looks like a perfect fit on paper - if it doesn't excite you, it's not the right fit.

I used to think that doing meaningful work was enough. That as long as I was doing something related to sustainability or climate, I would feel in the right place. But I've learned (sometimes the hard way) that how I feel while doing the work matters just as much as what the work is about.

Because when we enjoy what we do - when we sometimes reach that state of flow and even forget to pick up our kids at school (not happened that many times) - we do our best work. And I would say that at this time in history, the world needs people doing their best work. Wouldn’t you agree?

⏳ My biggest worry

What worries me the most isn't the changing job market or AI taking our jobs.

What makes me truly sad is the number of people I meet who are waiting.

Waiting for a better time. Waiting for permission. Waiting to see what happens when the new boss arrives. Waiting because they chose a direction when they were 18 and now feel like they have to see it through to the bitter end.

I want to say this clearly, to anyone who feels stuck:

You're not too late. You're not too old. You are not held hostage by the career police. Or your LinkedIn network.

We can keep learning until we're dead. And we should.

Because life is too short to hate your job.

You deserve to feel excited about Mondays. You deserve to say - not because it's what accomplished people say, but because you truly mean it - that you love what you do. The world needs you to love what you do.

🌱 Being a career explorer

These days, I've built a career (or something like it) that evolves with my values, ideas, and the changing world around me. I don't claim to have it all figured out (far from it!), but I do know how to adapt. I know how to realign when something feels like it's off. I've learned to read the signs, like my shoulders rising up under my ears. Bad sign.

And I like to think I've designed my own flexibility.

No, not everyone needs to become a solopreneur. That path comes with its own rollercoaster of risks and rewards. But everyone, I believe, needs to think about resilience.

It's like taking up piano playing if you hurt your knee and can't run (relevant example from my son).

It's about knowing who you are, what you value, what makes you excited. And it's about having the fluency to adjust when the world shifts under your feet. That's what I call Future Fluency. And it's a skill you can build, starting now.

💬 One more thing before you go

If you're feeling stuck, uncertain, or secretly wondering if there's more out there - there is. But sometimes you need to close some doors to spot the other doors. Sometimes you need to put your old identity up on the shelf, to create a new one.

Please, let this be your nudge.

Give Newton's rule some thought.

Let my ten-year reflection be your reminder that change can be a new beginning, and that some crises are blessings in disguise.

And if you're already on that journey, keep going! And share your story with the world, because people need relatable examples.

You're allowed to change. And you're definitely allowed to love your Mondays.