The thermometer here in Chicago this morning indicates that it is -12 degrees outside. Fahrenheit. That’s cold. We get a deep freeze like this every winter, and it gives the local newscasters something to blather about for the few days that the world here looks like a scene from the movie, Dr. Zhivago.
As the economy continues to crumble around us, one of the common themes that I am hearing from people at all levels and in all forms of positions and professions is that they “don’t know what to do.” Much like the weather outside, people are frozen in place. Fear will do that, and it’s definitely not healthy.
The best way that I know to combat fear and unfreeze your mind from the “what might happen” or “what just happened” mentality is to start moving by taking action. Actions generate energy, push out the negative emotions and provide hope.
Here’s my randomly generated and in no specific order list of 10 ideas for anyone seeking to thaw-out and start moving forward in spite of the sub-zero headwinds. This list is good for anyone…employed or unemployed. I’ll be back in a future post on things to do in the workplace while the rest of your colleagues are frozen in fear.
1. Don’t Preoccupy on the News-it’s mostly bad. It’s amazing how traumatizing it can be to have the “nattering nabobs of negativity” (thanks, Spiro Agnew) blathering on incessantly about how bad things are and how much worse they might be in the coming months. Turn it off.
2. Update your professional resume/cv
This seemingly onerous task feels great once you get going. For many, the resume is a core marketing tool, and the intellectual effort of thinking through where/how you created value for your organizations serves to remind you that you do have something good to offer prospective employers.
Get help with this task if you need it. Ask colleagues and former managers to review a draft and provide you with ideas and feedback. Use my recent posts: Marketing Yourself, The Irreverent Opinions of a Resume Hobbyist and Marketing Yourself Part II: Defining Your Professional Value Proposition to jump-start your process.
3. Jump-start your networking activities.
For business professionals, LinkedIn is a great tool to facilitate this task. Creating your LinkedIn profile is a natural part of the resume update process, and developing your list of former and current colleagues will help you recognize how many people you know. Not everyone is on LinkedIn however, so don’t restrict your communication activities to just those that you find in this environment. (For those of you out there that would like to connect, click here to go to my profile and send me a note with your invite. If you are new to this tool, I will be happy to offer my two cents worth on using it effectively.)
Remember that networking works best if you give more than you get, so carry this philosophy forward by helping others connect with colleagues in your network that might offer help. Start reaching out and connecting with people. Most actually appreciate the contact.
4. Read or listen to something by Seth Godin. Seth is a popular marketing author and guru, and every time I read or listen to Seth, he reminds me that many of our most ingrained patterns of thinking are just plain obsolete. Spend some time with Seth and stretch your brain a bit.
A great starting place is the recent podcast: Seth Godin Thinks You’re Boring, that Seth conducted with another of my favorite and provocative gurus, John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing. Seth and John help you make sense out of some powerful new approaches to thinking about the world, about marketing yourself and about competing in this environment. He’s got a new book out: Tribes, We Need You to Lead Us, and I expect to finish it this weekend.
5. Do something physical. Hit the gym, chop some wood, clean the basement, paint a room, or do anything else that gets you moving. (Yep, that too.) You will feel better.
6. After doing something physical, start a blog. I’ll agree with Seth here. I don’t care if there are 190 million blogs worldwide. The act of setting up a blog and the discipline imposed by writing and publishing regularly will change you for the better. Drop me a note if you want some ideas on getting started.
7. Figure out how to leverage Twitter for business purposes and send me a note. OK, this one is a bit self-serving, but I am new to Twitter and while I find it exciting and fascinating and socially very cool, I have not yet cracked the code on this popular new form of communication. Join and let’s “follow” each other and see where this thing takes us.
8. Sign up for that class that you’ve put off or get going on the degree. Tough times are a great time to get to work on improving your skills and advancing your education. There’s nothing on TV you can’t record, you shouldn’t be Twittering and blogging more than a few minutes a day, so evenings are a great time to be in class or on-line in a class.
9. Volunteer. Someone in your community needs help. Your school, your library, your church or the many shelters and nonprofits.
10. Connect with people in person. Limit your time on the computer and increase your face time with real people. It’s too easy to sit behind the screen in this world. Find a networking group, join or start a book club, attend an occasional seminar. Push away from the keyboard.
The Bottom-Line for Now:
Do something. Anything. Stop worrying, start taking action and success will breed success. Maybe my list will prompt some ideas of your own. If that happens, remember to share. Pay it forward.
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