Am I Replaceable?
The Question That Keeps Me Up at Night - How to be Unlayoffable!
Do you ever wonder if your job could go on without you? It's a question that haunts me and many others. The fear of being replaced at work can be a sleep snatcher.
Can we really secure our job and career? Let’s try to solve this puzzle.
Seeds of Fear
Back in school, I was the shy, quiet type. I had a handful of friends who relied on me for their venting sessions—boy/girl talk, exam pressure, parent troubles, and more.
They rarely asked me how I felt, I was fine with that.
I kept thinking to myself, “I am such a good friend to them. They value me.”
Then, new students joined the class. They were more flamboyant, witty, and interesting. Soon, my friends were more intrigued by them.
Before I knew it, I became just another voice in the crowd, just another number in the group. I was replaced.
Holding on for Dear Life
A series of these incidents happened, enough to change me. After this, I held on to everything for dear life—new friends, opportunities, anything that I wanted.
I gave 200% in my relationships, even the ones that deserved only 10%. I took up more and more things on my plate just to be more seen, to be more valued, to secure myself.
This fear didn't stay in my childhood; it followed me into my career.
I worked myself to exhaustion to ensure there isn't a better option than me.
I constantly felt threatened, always kept "looking over my shoulder."
Doom and Gloom Thinking
Whenever I made a mistake, I thought everything was ruined. I felt like all the good stuff I did didn't matter anymore.
These thoughts reinforced a negative feedback loop in my head.
The anxiety was tiptoeing me into depression.
Broken but Beautiful
Your career is like a beautiful piece of pottery. These cracks are your failures and setbacks.
Instead of hiding them, think of Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing pottery with gold. The cracks, filled with gold, become the most valuable and beautiful parts.
They add unique value to your journey. The repaired cracks show your strength and resilience. They make you special and irreplaceable in your field.
Remember, your "cracks" are not flaws; they are your gold.
“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” — A.A. Milne
Be Antifragile
I read “Ikigai” recently and something caught my eye - Antifragility.
It means growing stronger when faced with challenges. It’s when you choose to learn, rather than feel sorry for yourself.
Pain is good when there is something you can learn from it. When you work out everyday, the micro-tears will make your muscles grow. Overdoing that might injure you.
Keep exposing yourself in small doses. Take the power back from unwanted surprises.
Be unconcerned with results.
Treat the net practice like your finals.
'Kabil bano, kamyabi jhak marke piche aayegi' - 3 Idiots
(Kabil bano = Be a capable/competent, kamyabi = success, jhak marke piche aayegi = will run after you.)
‘Save the Day’
New habits can bring new perspectives.
I recently stumbled upon an Instagram reel that inspired me to share this idea.
The creator mentioned a concept she and her friend came up with called
"Save the Day."
It’s a simple, yet powerful practice to reclaim a tough day.
Here’s how it works:
If you’ve spent the entire day working or if it’s just been a rough one, ask yourself,
"What’s one thing I can do to save the day?"
It doesn't have to be something grand or even productive.
The idea is to shift the focus back to yourself and find a small moment of joy.
This could be:
📲 Calling back an old friend
🍳 Cooking for yourself
🚶🏼♂️ Taking a relaxing walk
☕ Making a cup of tea
📖 Cozying up with your favorite book
The beauty of "Save the Day" is that it’s flexible and personal.
It can be anything that makes you feel like you have a bit of space for yourself again. It’s about gamifying and enjoying a brief moment of existence.
To make it more intentional, you can even add "something fun" to your calendar. It could be in the morning, during a break, or after work.
Reframing your day with this simple question can make a big difference.
Ask yourself - "What will make this day happy for me?"
Plan for Murphy's Law:
Cash Cushion: Save up for a rainy day! Put some money aside for 6-12 months' worth of expenses. This will help ease with the ‘what ifs’ in your mind.
Resume Ready: Keep your resume up-to-date. You never know when an exciting opportunity might come knocking, so be ready to open the door!
Skill Stacking: Learn something new whenever you can. Attend masterclasses, webinars, and seek out educational content on YouTube. Tune into podcasts that spark your curiosity. Every nugget of knowledge adds a shiny new skill to your toolkit.
Connections that Count: Stay fairly active on LinkedIn and be aware of your options. You might find yourself to be a hot commodity.
3Rs = Resilient, Relevant, Relaxed
Being Employable > Employed
Answer these for me, will ya:
What makes you indispensable in your role?
Who would you hire to replace yourself? Why?
What do you bring to the table that others do not?
How many colleagues would recommend you from your current job?
Who are you when you're not at work?
Remember, you are more than your job title or specific skill set.
Your value extends beyond the tasks you perform.
Your passion and dedication are invaluable assets.
Everything worth doing involves risk
Que Sera, Sera
Your career does not determine your value. It’s a tool to get what you want in life.
You have zero control over layoffs. You can be the strongest performer and lowest paid but still get let go. You can be on a revenue generating project and still let go.
You might be replaceable to your boss, but they're replaceable to you too.
If a company has a good employee, they will try to keep that employee.
It's risky to replace people for no reason.
Companies are focusing on making their workers better, not just swapping them out.
if you're generally liked and your work is well received then you're probably just in your head.
So stop worrying about being left behind at work. Just keep doing your best!
“If you're not Replaceable then you're not Promotable”
Bet on Yourself
To remind yourself of your worth, VALUE yourself:
Validate yourself
Appreciate the learnings
Leverage your skills
Uplift your self-worth regularly
Embrace resilience
Establish a reputation for reliability, consistency, and quality in your work.
Trust in your abilities and the value you bring to the table.
Remember that opportunities aren't finite.
Breathe! No one has it all figured out.
I too am a work in progress!
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” — Peter Drucker
If you found this post helpful, consider Subscribing so my future posts reach you!
Did you enjoy reading this?
Click on the ❤️ so this reaches more people! Thank you in Advance 🤝
Hey Sonali, this post really hits home for me! I was the same way in school. I was always quiet, but I found that being loud and goofy was a good way to get people to pay attention to me. I also got tons of anxiety if I ever did something wrong, even at smaller jobs, like a movie theater. I really love the concept you introduced here with Kintsugi. I love the idea of covering the cracks with gold and realizing that your mistakes make you learn and grow into a better person. Thank you for posting this :)