SHS #118: I Got Fired 1828 Days Ago.


Niharikaa Kaur Sodhi

July 27, 2024

SHS #118: I Got Fired 1828 Days Ago.

Reading time: 5 minutes

I got fired during this weekend, 5 years ago.

I was only 23 and it was my first job.

I remember that weekend so clearly.

It was a Friday and my boss gave me a new project to work on in the morning. An hour after lunch, I was asked to leave. I thought it was a prank because my boss and I used to joke often.

Since I got fired, I:

  • work for 3 hours a day
  • travelled to 15 countries
  • became the first entrepreneur in my family
  • get to spend a lot more time with my loved ones
  • created Summit 21 which has over 150+ students from over 27 countries
  • created digital products leading to passive income each month.
  • have worked with brands like Amazon, AirBnb, Hypefury, Flipkart, Ultraspeaking, Cred, etc.
  • In FY 23-24, I made 6 times the money I got from my previous job (which was 3 years ago)
  • I am mentally, physically, and spiritually happy and at peace.

Here's how that happened.

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This issue will especially help you if you feel lost. Or if something terrible has happened that makes you feel hopeless about the future.

I know because I felt that way, too.

It was my first job.

When you get fired from your first ever job and you're young, you think it's the end of the world. I had thoughts such as:

  • my career has ended before it even starts
  • I'm a terrible employee
  • I won't get a job again

It was so tough to see any light.

If you relate to this, I feel you. I've been there.

And I'm here to tell you what you can do to change this.

1/ Switch off

This month I complete 3 years of being off notifications.

After reading Deep Work by Cal Newport, I deleted my influencer Instagram account and put off all notifications.

You don't realise it but keeping your brain so damn engaged all the time is killing your creativity and focus. It's the reason you can't think out of the box.

2/ Mindset

Once I switched off, I started noticing things I didn't before.

My mental chatter, how my mind thinks, and how that's affecting everything around me.

The mind is everything. What you think you become - Buddha

Your mind creates your reality but most of us are unaware of what it's creating.

That's why we're unhappy.

The bright side - you can work on it.

Reading Unlimited Power by Tony Robbins helped me with this.

3/ Act

I created daring goals in Q4 2020. This was when I was in my second job.

  1. Earn 3x my income
  2. Quit my job in 3 months

I achieved the first one in 3 months and quit in 6 months.

4/ Consume carefully

I don't scroll on any platform.

On LinkedIn, I consume content from the same 7 accounts every day.

I download Instagram once in 2-3 weeks and have everyone on mute.

All this is because I want to own my mind instead of making it fire neurons unnecessarily.

When you tailor what you consume, you tailor what you think. If you put in crap you'll think crap.

Your thoughts define your actions and your actions create your reality.

5/ Do tiny experiments

Here are some tiny experiments I did along with their results:

  • Started side-hustling as a freelance writer ➡️ earned enough to quit the corporate world
  • Launched a free product ➡️ gained 11,000+ customers
  • Started writing on LinkedIn for fun ➡️ built a brand and today brands pay me to write about them
  • Conducted a cohort-based course for free, took feedback, and put a price on it ➡️ Summit 21 has run 11 successful cohorts so far

The biggest experiment I've done is to write for fun and create a living out of it.

The tiny steps you take today can create a future you cannot even imagine.

Lastly

I'm typing this from my holiday in the U.S.

I postponed my holiday by 2 weeks because I could.

I am spending time with my family because it feels so good.

I own my time entirely. And to me, this is the greatest form of wealth.

To reach here - I couldn't even imagine it when I quit my job, let alone when I got fired.

1828 days ago, I was crying that my career had ended. Today I feel this is only the beginning. I am just getting started.

So if you feel hopeless - you got this. If I could, you can too.

PS - My FREE Side Hustler Checklist can help you with some direction :)

Love,

N

Whenever you're ready, here's how I can help you:

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Niharikaa Kaur Sodhi

I write tips around side hustling, writing, and monetisation to 15,000+ superstars every Saturday.

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