Behind 'The Pharmacist Coach'

Over the past decade, so many people have asked me some variation of the question,

'How come you left pharmacy Rachel?' 

Those of you who have asked me that question know that I have not ‘left pharmacy.’  I remain proud to be a Pharmacist. 

Luckily, neither being a Pharmacist nor being a Coach is an either/or scenario.  Instead, they are entirely synergistic.  That is why I am proud to be 'the Pharmacist Coach.'

As a member of both Pharmacy and Coach/Supervisor Professional Membership Organisations, I am accountable to each profession’s Core Competency Framework and a Code of Ethics. Thankfully, I have found that honouring both enriches each other.  My personal and professional growth journey in coaching has had a synergistic, positive effect on my PSI Core Competencies and my ability to honour the PSI Code of Conduct and vice versa.  It enables me to coach and empower both Pharmacists and Coaches to engage whole-heartedly with life, embrace learning opportunities and face challenges from a much broader and deeper perspective. 

As healthcare professionals, as parents, as partners, as community activists ….. we GIVE of ourselves to others at work and at home. 

Every day, further amplified by the last two years of COVID, I realise with more and more clarity that in order to fulfil my dreams, honour my values and accomplish meaningful goals, I must care for my own health, wellbeing and needs as much as I care for others health, wellbeing and needs.  Indeed, without caring for my own health, wellbeing and needs, I cannot sustainably care well for others.  Instead of being an asset, I become a liability.

I cannot give what I do not have.  Can you?

My best, when I am exhausted and depleted is just not as good as my best when I am vibrant and nourished.

Given the turmoil in our world, there are many drains on our energy and attention – making it even more important to have a robust, anti-fragile personal foundation.

One of the things I am most proud of, is that I have learned that when I neglect my personal foundation, I become fragile.  I take things personally.  I make assumptions and believe them to be true.    Instead of remembering that, as an educated professional, I have immense privilege and power, with a duty to use it in service of humanity, I wallow in self-righteous self-pity, feeling sorry for myself.  Tell-tale signs that I am slipping down the disempowering route of fragility and burnout include

• Blaming others, feeling victimised and wishing and wanting things to ‘go back to the way things were.’ Irritation, frustration, guilt, shame, worry, anxiety predominate.
• Low motivation.   Reduced engagement with work, goals and family.  Everything feels like HARD work.
• Tendency to withdraw from family and friends and reduced social interaction. Tendency to take things personally.
• Dip in confidence. Reduced self-efficacy.  Tendency to give up on what I believe in.
• Focusing on what is not working and what is wrong. Believing that making mistakes means that nothing I will ever do will be good enough.  In this mindset, even if I accomplish something, it is quickly discounted.

When I slip into this vicious cycle, it is a downward spiral, until I practice

• RECOGNISING the vicious cycle is at play (In Positive Intelligence, we call this ‘Intercepting the Saboteurs’) ®
• STOPPING the cycle spinning (In Positive Intelligence®, we call this ‘Self Command.’)
• ACTIVATING the virtuous cycle (In Positive Intelligence®, we call this activating the ‘Sage Powers.’)

The results of commitment to self-mastery are empowering. 

I decided that 100% committing to my Continuous Professional Development journey    (rather than dabbling with or treating CPD like a ‘should do’ chore) was to become a core part of my self-care.  My intention was to choose powerful CPD activities – mastering fundamental mindset and skillset that have a positive ripple effect on all aspects of my life -  personally, professionally (as both a pharmacist and as a coach), for my clients and colleagues and for the communities we serve.

From a Sage place of personal integrity, it becomes inspiring to coach and empower others to thrive.  Instead of being fragile, I become more resilient (more able to weather the storms).  As I continue to proactively strengthen my personal foundation, I aim to get to the point where I become anti-fragile – where challenges make me stronger, not weaker.    Tell-tale signs I am building anti-fragile self-mastery include more often experiencing

• Emotions such as hope, gratitude, love, courage to act in the face of fear.
• Zest for life.   Drive.  Engagement.  Sense of being ‘in flow.’
• Belonging and connection. Being open to both giving and receiving help & feedback.  Being willing to generously share my learning journey with others. 
• Having the confidence, courage and tenacity to act in the presence of fear for what I believe in.
• Focusing on what is working and what is right. Focusing on LEARNING from mis-takes, so that next time I am stronger, more discerning and more resourceful. Celebrating progress and accomplishments. 

I am proud to share with you that I, and my coaching, mentoring and supervision clients, have made tremendous progress on our self-mastery practices.  AND we continue to be works in progress!