Those Antsy Feelings

September, 2008, by Ronna Lichtenberg

With the market falling, and brand name companies teetering, everyone I know is feeling kind of antsy. Even people whom in my opinion have “enough” money don’t think it’s enough…and besides, it could be gone tomorrow.

I am an entrepreneur, currently bootstrapping a start up company, and the challenge of meeting payroll in these dizzying economic times is teaching me a lot about how to handle grim financial news.

Here are three things I have learned that I am hoping might help you, if this market madness is creating some career issues for you.

1. Feelings are just one source of information, and not the best one. It is really, really, REALLY easy to confuse paranoia with intuition, because after all, those little thoughts fire in the same brain cells.

I have found it useful to say to my own wild paranoid imaginings…that may be true. Then I ask myself if it is true, if there is anything that I can do now that I will wish I had done later.

If there isn’t…then I really work to let it go. If there isn’t anything you can do today, then you might as well focus on enjoying the moment.

I force myself to be here, in this body, on this planet, and do something that makes me smile…even if it is petting a dog on the street that is gallantly guarding “her” toddler, even though she herself is balancing on three legs.

Pulling out of yourself is the best for not getting caught inside, in the vortex of fear.

2. Just because you are scared, doesn’t mean you can accelerate the process of career transitioning. By 10 this morning I had talked to two senior corporate execs who hate what they do, are working for companies that they find badly managed, and who want to do something, but they don’t know what it is, and they want to know for sure what it is before they leave their hateful but steady paycheck jobs.

Now…it is possible for them to find a new career. But it isn’t going to happen this week. In fact, it is probably going to take between six months (if they are really lucky) to a year (if they are normal).

It’s like losing thirty pounds. You aren’t going to lose it next week.

BUT if you start doing real work today, you will get there.

3. When I am feeling emotionally fragile, I strictly limit the amount of time I spend talking with people about how bad it is. Some people, including some people I love, feel better dwelling on all the negative possibilities. I find if I get into those conversations, I end up feeling worse.

Choose to spend your time with people who are up. People who see possibility. People who are ready to find the silver lining.

Because they are looking, they are much more likely to find it.