Here's what getting fired taught me about myself - and life in general

Áine Cain/Business Insider

Firing cannons is more fun than getting fired.

I got fired my junior year of college.

I remember it happened while I was studying for exams on the silent third floor of my school's library. No, I didn't work at the library. No, my boss hadn't spontaneously appeared to fire me in person.

Complimentary Tech Event

Transform talent with learning that works

Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

I was fired via email. That sounds harsh, but I had a remote job (also, I kind of deserved it). It was definitely an upsetting experience, but I wasn't terribly shocked. After it happened, I hit up the library's coffee shop, took a walk outside, and then got back to studying. I was feeling so burned out at that point that I just didn't have the mental or emotional bandwidth to deal with it.

Without going into too much detail, I'd been sacked by a company that provided academic assistance to international students looking to attend college in the US. I was hired to edit and provide feedback on practice papers. The people I remotely corresponded with were very nice and welcoming. The work was paid and I found it interesting. Plus, it was remote! I'd previously worked remotely and I liked the flexibility.

Overall, the job was a good fit, except for one thing - the timing.

I had recently taken over as the editor of my school paper, which, as anyone who's worked on a college publication can tell you, was a massive time commitment. I also had an internship at a local museum, a volunteer position on campus, a freelance gig at a local media outlet, and a full schedule of classes.

I simply didn't have any time. I never should've taken the remote job in the first place.

But I thought I could handle it. I didn't realize that I was just addicted to being busy.

Naturally, that semester turned into a total dumpster fire. I was a sleep-deprived, disastrous human during that time. I ended up messing up a number of commitments, although the remote job suffered the most.

Overall, my boss was happy with the quality of my work. However, the time zone difference ended up throwing off my ability to adhere to deadlines. I sent in one too many assignments late, and I got sacked.

Getting fired made me realize a few things about myself, and life in general: