Live every day ready to be fired: What happens next

In an era of mass layoffs, uncertain job security, and ever-evolving corporate expectations, a sobering workplace mantra is gaining traction: “Live every day ready to be fired. Work every day like it’s your last.” 

For many, it sounds like a recipe for burnout. 

But in truth, it’s a call for courage, clarity, and authenticity — especially in a workplace culture shaped by upheaval.

Just ask the employees of IBM. The once-mighty tech giant made headlines when recent reports surfaced that some managers had been instructed to force out employees without a clear performance — a classic layoff strategy. 

9,000 job cuts

Many affected workers describe the stress of a corporate environment where loyalty and years of service no longer guaranteed stability. 

The company, founded in 1911, gave us the PC, the ATM, floppy disc, hard drive and manhy more — an empire that helped shape the modern world. But to survive, any company must make difficult decisions.

IBM recently announced laying off approximately 9,000 employees across multiple locations. 

It’s a typical, sad refrain: “I gave my best years to this company, and they erased me like a typo.” 

They just didn’t fit the current “business direction.”

IBM is hardly alone. 

From Amazon to Google, companies once seen as “safe” have laid off thousands in waves of restructuring. 

It’s a reminder that the modern workplace doesn’t run on gratitude or legacy. It runs on numbers, margins, razor-sharp competition and market movements.

So where does that leave the rest of us?

Here’s the harsh truth: job security, in its traditional sense, is largely a myth. It’s a recipe for turning into a dead wood.

And that’s why the mantra “Live every day ready to be fired” is not about paranoia — it’s about mental readiness and personal sovereignty.

It means: owning your value, your time, and your decisions, instead of outsourcing your identity to your employer.

But what about the second part — “Work every day like it’s your last”? 

That’s not a glorification of hustle culture. It’s not about skipping sleep or sacrificing your health. It’s about alignment. If you want to stay healthy, don’t give yourself any excuse to skip exercise.

It’s about making sure your life, your work — whatever it is — reflects your integrity, your creativity, and your standards.

Self-determination theory

Psychologists call this “self-determination theory,” which emphasises autonomy, competence, and relatedness – the three basic psychological needs that drive motivation and well-being. 

It’s a widely respected framework developed by psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan. This theory explains what drives human motivation and well-being — particularly how people flourish when these three needs are met.

When you approach work with a sense of purpose and full engagement — as if it’s your last opportunity to leave your mark — you shift from survival mode to ownership mode. 

Say what needs to be said

Living like you’re ready to be fired also means saying what needs to be said. 

Too many employees stay silent in the face of bad management or flawed processes for fear of rocking the boat. 

There are subtle, effective ways of saying or calling things out. But in any workplace, there's no substitute to the truth – and hard work.

If the boat could sink anyway — or throw you overboard at any moment — then why not at least be true to your values? 

Why not speak up?

This mindset is especially vital in creative, high-stakes, or innovation-driven fields where taking risks is part of the job. 

Consider the engineers and product designers who’ve created breakthroughs not by following the rules but by challenging them, doing “skunkworks”.

This reminds me, again, of the IBM PC story. In the early 1980s, it emerged as a landmark case of a corporate "skunkworks" project — a small, autonomous team working outside the usual bureaucratic processes to rapidly innovate.

The same speed-to-market, driven by independent teams, is true which leads to innovations in every sector, from aviation and energy to software and zippers.

Playing it safe, freeloading, rarely make a lasting impact.

Healthy habits

On a practical level, this work-daily-ready-to-be-fired outlook also encourages healthy habits.  

If you’re mentally prepared to be let go — if you’re not clinging to a false sense of permanence — you’re more likely to keep your resume updated, network consistently, upskill regularly, and save for emergencies.

These aren’t fear-based actions; they’re smart, self-respecting ones.

That said, this mindset doesn’t mean being reckless. It’s not about being antagonistic or burning bridges. 

What is radical professionalism?

It’s about practicing radical professionalism: doing your best work without illusion, investing in relationships while staying detached from outcomes, and knowing that your job is not your identity.

In the end, to “live every day ready to be fired” is to stop begging for permission to exist.

And to “work every day like it’s your last” is to treat your time and talent as finite — and therefore sacred.

You can’t control the economy. You can’t control restructuring decisions. You cannot control innovation. If you wish to live in the rotary telephone era, then be my guest. 

But I’ve moved on to Starlink (waiting for Kuiper, if it works better/cheaper).

You can control how you show up — with intention, grit, and the quiet freedom that comes from knowing you were never owned in the first place.

And in a world where even the most stable careers come with an asterisk, or a typo waiting to be erased, that kind of freedom might be the only real security we have.