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Pre-traumatic
stress disorder is a term I invented on a coaching
call with a client anguished about something she
was convinced might
happen. Even though my label is about as
pop-psychology as it gets, in the years since that
call, I've seen many clients consumed with
pre-living disastrous scenarios that they
misperceive as being real.
Now, the
cognitive term of this kind of thinking is
catastrophizing. Exaggerating the importance
of a minor event, practically to the point of
being obsessed with it. As a coach, one of
the things I do is support clients in labeling
unhelpful mental models and engaging them in
adopting beneficial models that are congruent with
their values, goals and
well-being.
It
seems the obvious choice to go for the path with
the least suffering when it's immediately
available. And I got really curious when
some of my clients knowingly resisted doing
so.
I started asking people why they create
and cling to worst case scenarios that cause them
fear and stress. One executive told me that
envisioning failure motivated him to do a better
job. Another told me she liked the intensity
of the feeling - the rush of adrenaline. And
these answers make perfect sense. Our human
physical response to fear is designed to create
urgency and engage our focus. Of course, the
danger is that too much fear can create
deer-in-headlights paralysis, and living in a
constantly stressed state is damaging on a
long-term basis.
So, the good news is that
if you are using fear to motivate yourself, you
are in good company. I'd go further to say
that if your fear comes from stretching out of
your comfort zone - great! Congratulations
on showing up courageously.
And if
fear is a constant companion or getting in your
way, it may be time to look for other forms of
motivation. Call me and we can look at
mental models that have you be in charge of fear
and not the other way
around.
Boo!
Michelle
Michelle
receives most rigouous professional coaching
certification!
I've
been a certified coach for a few years now
and decided to take it to the next level with the
gold standard of coaching certifications from the
International Coach Federation. To become a
Professional Certified Coach, the ICF requires 125
hours of coaching training (I have closer to
200!), performing and tracking over 750 hours of
coaching (I now have over 1000!), as well as live
evaluations of my coaching and letters of
recommendation. Since coaching is still
something of a "wild west," I take pride in doing
my part for advancing a profession that creates
such value. And it is a demonstration of my
ongoing commitment to keeping myself sharp in
providing outstanding coaching. Thanks for
your support!
Copyright 2006 The Juncture
Company
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