When Losing a Job Becomes the Start of Living With Intention

The Checklist We All Think We Have to Follow

For most of my adult life, I believed in the invisible checklist. Go to college. Get a good job. Work hard. Move up. Provide for your family. Keep going. It is a list so many of us carry without even realizing it.

When I sat down with Clay Garrett, he told me how he spent 25 years following that checklist in design and advertising. Every new position came with better pay and more responsibility. On paper, it looked like success. But he admitted something I think many people can relate to: none of it truly lit him up.

The Moment Everything Stopped

In March 2020, right before the world shut down, Clay was laid off. He went home, filled out unemployment paperwork, and told the woman at the counter he would have a job again within two weeks. But within days, the NBA canceled its season, Tom Hanks went into isolation, and everything closed. The world was not hiring.

“There’s no chance of me getting a job. They’re shutting everything down. I’m going to be stuck at home for God knows how long. And then I realized in the moment that it’s kind of a gift.”

That pause gave Clay something he never would have chosen but desperately needed. For the first time in decades, he had uninterrupted time with his wife, his kids, and even his father in the woodshop. They built things together. They cooked meals. They played games. He described it as investing in his family in a way he might never have been able to do otherwise.

From “Good Job” to Good Life

Something I related to was how Clay had never felt particularly unhappy before the layoff. He thought he was doing what he was supposed to do. But being forced out of the cycle made him see the difference between a good job and a good life.

He began reading more, reflecting more, and noticing how much self-awareness changed the way he showed up in his relationships. He even began writing for himself, eventually creating Campfire Gentleman, a project focused on helping men build meaningful lives around purpose, family, and personal growth.

Instead of rushing back into another full-time role, Clay built a career that allowed him to work with nonprofits, manage his time, and still be present for the people who matter most. He learned that intention is what turns routine into meaning.

What We Can Learn From Clay’s Shift

Listening to Clay reminded me of how powerful reflection can be. Most of us will not face a pandemic layoff, but we all encounter moments when life pauses without our permission. Those pauses can feel terrifying, but they can also be invitations.

A few lessons stand out from Clay’s experience:

• Success is not defined by a job title or paycheck
• Presence with family and loved ones is an investment worth making
• Intentional living is available to us, but it requires slowing down long enough to notice

Clay’s story is not about running away from responsibility. It is about realigning life around what actually matters. And it is a reminder that sometimes what feels like the worst timing can actually become the beginning of something better.

Keep Listening to Stories That Shift Perspective

If Clay’s experience resonates with you, I invite you to listen to our full conversation on The Life Shift Podcast. His honesty about losing a job and finding intention is a story many of us need to hear right now.