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Help Wanted:
The Antidote to Fear
Exclusive for the Coach Darcy Community
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| Greetings! |
What a fascinating February! I'm thinking this has to be what what the Bard really meant when he wrote "now is the winter of our discontent."
For a while, I was thinking that Punxsutawney Phil had the right idea--huddle back underground for six more weeks of winter--at least. After all, the four-letter words being tossed about are intense . . .F-A-I-L . . . C-U-T-S. . . D-O-W-N . . .B-A-N-K . . . and those don't even include the more, ahem, "colorful" ones I know you're using.
I started thinking about the mack-daddy of four-letter words, F-E-A-R. If there ever was a time we needed an antidote to fear, it's now. But is there one? Or several? How can we be fear-less and get more done, sleep more peacefully and have more fun?
So here's my prescription. These ideas aren't cure-alls, but I hope you find them useful as you thaw out your own fears so they don't get in the way of your goals. For extra support, don't forget to check the "Free Tools" link to the right to access other Fear Factor Fighters! It's yours for being part of the Coach Darcy Community. |
The Antidote to Fear
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 I love coaching people on ways to build their confidence. Most of the time, this involves helping them clear gunk from their brains and build confidence that's already within them. In this kind of work, the word FEAR always comes up, and I've long said that FEAR means "False Expectations Appearing Real".
But lately I've been questioning that definition. Unpredictable job security is real. Unstable banks--real. Confusion in abundance--very, very real.
FEAR is now a four-letter word. In its place, I'm floating some others to use as potential antidotes to our frenzied, flying fears.
PREP: People Ready Even Prior
What are you most afraid of--and how can you PREP now for even the slimmest of possibilities of that happening? I saw PREP pay off recently when a client was convinced she'd lose her job soon.
In the past, I might have been tempted to call that fear a "false expectation appearing real." I might have thought, "She's a superstar--why should she worry?" But the better question was, "If that's what you believe, what can we do about it right now?"
That led to developing an action plan to clarify her strengths and build her resume. She also prepped to build relationships within her own company to raise her profile, communicate her contribution, and make her less layoff-able. She's still employed, but PREP helped her feel a lot more relaxed should her job go away.
PREP trumped FEAR. And then there's . . .
WORK: Will Overcome Rough Kinks
If you're working a job you like, this is no time to hide. Be visible, share more, meet more people, do more of what you're great at. Great WORK--and a great attitude--makes a difference that matters in tense times.
If you worry that you're not keeping up, your WORK might be to grow your skills. (I wrote about that last month; email me if you didn't see it!) Or, if you're working hard and have a steady income, congrats. Maybe you can put someone else to WORK. In the musical "Hello, Dolly!", matchmaker Dolly Levi tells of her late husband's perspective that "Money--if you'll pardon the expression--is like manure. It won't do any good unless you spread it around."
If you have jobs to do and can afford to do so, hire someone. Maybe you need the basement organized, your home computer sped up, or the yard cleared before spring. For most of us, exchanging a little cash for WORK done well is a great way to dilute FEAR for someone else--and scratch those annoying, draining to-dos off your list at the same time.
WORK diffuses FEAR. Finally, there's . . .
LOVE: Let Our Vision Energize
Yes, you have a vision, whether you admit it out loud or not. Maybe it's of your business and career achievements. Maybe it's of your own life, or that of your family. A vision by nature is a picture of something we would LOVE to have.
But for many of us, our vision feels cloudy right now, distracted with flotsam and jetsam of this fear-mongering environment. If we clean up our vision, might we start believing again that we can achieve what we want? I think so. Our vision can motivate our everyday actions with a new purpose and energy. And who wouldn't LOVE more energy?
Not clear on your vision? My favorite vision exercise involves simply picking up some crayons and scribbling what I want the future to look like, whether in a defined business situation or my life as a whole. Something magic happens to adults when they have a stick of colored wax in their hands. Try it--you'll love it. And LOVE cancels FEAR. |
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What's New With Darcy?
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The chilly winter hasn't seemed to freeze up the opportunities to help others discover what coaching can do for them and their organizations. It's been a busy, fun, year so far, and I'm grateful to all of you who've sent me ideas and opportunities to make it so! This month, I'm especially excited about leading a Career Transition workshop at the Carl Sanders YMCA in Atlanta This interactive session is now on Saturday, February 28, and is targeted at job seekers and changers. Here's the Y's website with more information. I'm also talking to other community organizations who might like to sponsor this workshop, and so if you are involved with a group who may be interested, just email me and let's connect! My work in the broader coaching community is ramping up, too. I'm serving as the VP of Marketing for the Georgia Coach Association (GCA), which is the Atlanta-based chapter of the International Coach Federation (ICF). I've also been asked to join the Global Marketing committee for ICF, helping promote the value of coaching all over the world! There are already exciting projects underway for both of these groups, including GCA's April 29th PRISM Awards . More info to come when we talk again!
Finally, your referrals to great people who may benefit from coaching continue to be very important to me. I'd love to talk to your referred friend, family member, or colleague--they can contact me directly by email or phone at 404.313.0278, or I am happy to reach out to them on your request. Thank you for all your support! |
Coach Darcy In the News
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Careerbuilder.com's Rachel Zupek recently quoted me in her February article, "Are You Stuck in Job Prison?"
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Interested in Group Coaching?
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A few of you have asked whether I'd organize a group coaching program, where a small group comes together on the phone once a week for 2-4 weeks. On those calls, they get coached and exchange ideas on key work and career topics.
I'm still measuring interest and may pilot something later this year. If you'd like to hear more, please email me and write GROUPS in your subject line. Thanks!
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There you have it--some new ideas for old four-letter words. I hope you use them as antidotes to the fear that keeps spinning around today --and that will likely keep spinning for a while into our future. If you use any of these ideas, I'd love to hear about it--just email me. Or, if you come across a new four-letter word that inspires you, shakes you, or otherwise moves you, let me know! And so in this Valentine's month, I'll leave you with one more four-letter word--SWAK (sealed with a kiss!)
Always,
Darcy Eikenberg
Coach Darcy LLC
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