Are you ashamed of the hollowness of your personal crisis during the pandemic?
Your heart goes out to the multitude of people enduring truly painful hardship–those who are sick, have had a loved one die alone, or have lost a job. Meanwhile, this crisis is affecting you, too. But your complaint–in contrast–feels shallow and low-level. You may be stuck, unable to concentrate, unproductive, anxious. And maybe it’s not all the time. Maybe it’s a roller coaster of ups and downs. Whatever you’re going through, on either side of that deep hardship/shallow hardship equation, a crisis demands rising up somehow. And I contend that to do so, you need a coaching squad.
Real or imaginary coaches?
Maybe you’re lucky enough to know just the right people in real life to form this inspiring group. Call them. Drink coffee together on Zoom. Tag them on Facebook. Whatever it takes. But you can also tap into the inspiration of strangers, thanks to social media, podcast interviews, and blogs. You need these talented people to calm you down, to rev you up, to get you out of a WFH rut, to fuel you with new ideas.
I keep my coaching squad front-and-center via social media, longer-form articles and podcasts. They have been especially valuable in these weeks of heavy noise and negativity, with an unprecedented crisis raging outside my four walls and a low-level anxiety brewing inside those four walls.
A coach for every time of day
My inspiration appetite varies throughout the day, so I tune in to the right person at the right time. I recently broke my awful Twitter morning habit: Upon waking I’d tell myself, “I’d better do a quick Twitter check on the latest news about the pandemic,” and then an hour later I’m still scrolling, stomach roiling about politics. Now I take a walk as soon as I wake up and listen to a spiritual-ish audiobook. The zenlike author gets me grounded and ready to start the day in the right headspace. At my desk, I’ll tap into a webinar on writing or self-publishing, for a skill boost. Late in the afternoon, I let myself dip into Twitter but try to stick with folks I respect who have something constructive to say.
Of course, I don’t always get it right and some days I get distracted and forget to call upon the better angels out there. When that happens, there’s nothing to do but get some sleep and try again tomorrow.
My squad
The people who earn spots on my coaching squad are champions of best practices in various parts of my life–writing, the startup world, working in general, and family life. And while these people are all “experts” in their fields, I only let people into my role-model posse who aren’t afraid to show their humanity (they don’t do everything perfectly).
My favorites on the squad right now include these brilliant-but-accessible luminaries:
Seth Godin – He’s evolved beyond marketing expert to guru, and I always get inspired by Seth. He is unafraid to look at the world differently from the rest of us and to see ahead. Early in the lockdown game, he inspired me to think about stay-at-home orders differently: How will you use this precious time? He also created a new offering that’s perfect right now: a virtual co-working space where people can work together silently, online (free and open until April 17, conditions permitting). https://seths.blog
Ryan Holiday – This guy, author of five books including The Obstacle Is the Way, has almost single-handedly made stoic philosophy trendy–and useful. He embodies the steady and quiet, while also being extremely productive. I particularly love his free email detailing what he read that month–it’s one of my best discovery tools for what to read next. Ryan has set up a 14-day challenge to make the most of what he calls “Alive Time” (this stay-at-home time). I’ve subscribed and it includes a ton of content, as well as a private Slack workspace for those taking the challenge. https://ryanholiday.net/
Brian Koppelman – I’ve admired Brian professionally for a long time. He’s a brilliant screenwriter and a generous creative. His podcast, “The Moment,” is awesome. He was an “early adopter” of coronavirus prep, and he’s rallied an unexpected community online during the pandemic: people posting photos of themselves with their first cup of coffee of the day, which he’s dubbed, “The Royale.” There’s even now a coffee mug created for the Royale community, proceeds of which go towards Food Bank for New York City. @briankoppelman
Kara Swisher – Love her or hate her, Kara combines the chops of being a long-standing and ace tech journalist with the entertainment value of brutal candor. Follow Kara on Twitter and her Recode and Pivot podcasts, and you get a real window into what’s happening in tech that matters. Bonus: Her cohost on Pivot, Scott Galloway, is a hoot. @karaswisher
Brene Brown – A shame researcher is an especially helpful ally for days when you’re not operating at 100% productivity. Lucky for us, Brene just launched her podcast a few weeks ago, so it’s easy to get her super-helpful perspectives on how to deal with the emotional side of the pandemic. Her books, of course, are amazing and give insight on everything from parenting to leadership. https://brenebrown.com/
Chip Conley – Chip is the public voice for those who are older in tech, thanks to his excellent book, Wisdom @ Work. He generously shares his wisdom with the rest of us through his writing, and of course Modern Elder Academy. I find his daily blog, “Wisdom Well,” an inspiring read each morning.
These are just a few of the inspiring people who have become essential to the life of my mind. Having them around doesn’t solve everything, but they help. And have you noticed? I’m on a first-name basis! 😉 Who’s on your coaching squad during this challenging time?