Keeping Fear At Bay

Here's the situation: after 10 years of successfully helping organizations learn ways to work with change, I've been presented with a big change myself: a huge slow down in work. A blow to the ego as well as the finances. And an enticing invitation for fear to come pay me a visit.

First step: quelling the fear and maintaining my sense of purpose and confidence.

How am I doing that? By continually checking in with the story I'm telling myself and what the facts are. Being open to other perspectives. I try to re-frame the negative stories, finding a way to view them that soften their edges, make them more acceptable to live with. I'm also seeking and accepting different forms of support, not expecting myself to weather it all alone. That's a direct link to my own business maxim: "The appropriate support can make all the difference." It's true!

Up until now my work has primarily come through word of mouth. But as the economy took a nose dive, many clients, both individuals and organizations, are fielding their own challenges. Many believe that limited resources - time, money or people - exempt them from attending to the life blood of their existence, namely you, your people and your sense of shared vision.

Learning; when the chips are down that's when investing in yourself and/or your people is the most sustainable thing to do!

Here's how I've keeping fear at bay:

• reaching out to a few trusted people to let them know what was happening (face vulnerability)
• investing in myself and my business (with time, smart expenditures, and people support)
• took back more direct control over the handling of my day to day financial transactions instead of having someone else monitor it (learning curve here but doable with support)
• created or joined several small groups like The Pulse for learning, networking and support
• continue to invest in myself via connecting with old and new contacts (not resort to pulling in and hiding)
• reviewing my vision and seeing what I need to remember or alter given the new information about myself as well as the environment
• reviewing my beliefs - noticing which are holding me back, which are supporting my growth
  
• continually checking in with that voice in my head and try to find the opportunity, the re-frame
• let go of some things that aren't working (looking some sacred cows in the eyes)
• let go of perfectionism! (eg: letting this blog go without someone else editing it first!)
  
• take some risks (investigating new collaborations, writing blogs)
• make self care a priority: good nutrition, sleep, yoga and exercise (key for me)

My bottom line: I believe that many organizations/people occasionally need the external support that I can provide - and perhaps will need this kind of service even more so in the future. I also believe that I am good at what I do (happily, client feedback says the same). And I believe that change is synonymous with learning. Sometimes that learning is a new skill, sometimes it's working with our internal response.

It all starts and ends with you and your own attitude to your circumstances. What we pay attention to, we get more of. I'm putting my attention on my health, my creativity, my vision, and my support systems.

How are you approaching your challenge?