The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly been a very challenging time for so many people and the internet and social media has been filled with advice and help for people in these unprecedented times. For me personally, I have worked through several phases since the pandemic took hold, and we went into lockdown, including worry, fear and hope. Worry about things like earning a living, fear about getting the virus or loved ones, friends etc. getting the virus and perhaps not recovering and hope about a better future and all the benefits that have come during this time, like people caring for one another, appreciating what we have, looking after ourselves in terms of diet and exercise and being far more conscious about the planet and how so much of what we all do MUST change.
Having worked through the emotions mentioned earlier, Shona and I have taken the time to really consider what we do and how our business and personal lives can evolve, change and to some extent be re-invented...
Enter Collars and Tails
It is so important to find your interests, to learn, gain enjoyment and subsequently grow. That is very much the method of the Parallel Dreams Coaching Academy and what we recommend as a brilliant 'self-help' process. And Shona has been fully engaged in this process over the last couple of months. Her interests; our dogs, making stuff and being creative. The result has been the launch of www.collarsandtails.com hand made customisable dog collars and leads. She has been completely engrossed in 'learning' how to make the collars and leads and had the opportunity to be really creative with her designs. She has had plenty of flow experiences in the process as she has fully engaged in the task of making lots of samples even to the point of missing quite a few lunch times! And our two dogs have one of the biggest wardrobes of collars and leads ever seen.
Check out the new website and tell all your dog loving friends
She has even included a great recycling opportunity whereby people can send in their old collars and leads, or old climbing rope, so that D rings, buckles etc. can be re-used and then a donation made to your nominated charity. Click here to find out more.
So what about me?
Online and blended learning are part of the future
Platforms like Zoom have seen exponential growth during the pandemic as more and more learning moves online. And this has meant that lots of training providers have had to really think about how they can offer some of their training and education via 'online learning'. And we have risen to this challenge creating three new 'online workshops' with two relating to flow and the third being about mental health and well-being. These courses will kick off in September with each workshop having three separate components; pre-workshop learning tasks, online live workshop via Microsoft Teams and a post-workshop follow up and review. Click here for all the info.
So, what does the future hold for us and everyone else?
There is no doubt that we can't wait to get back into the mountains next winter teaching skiing and our Cervinia trip in November is already full. But this pandemic has created a 'new normal' (apologies but there have been so many sound bites to come out of all this) and this new normal will certainly include much more online learning and we are ready to embrace it.
However, whatever you do try to find something that really interests you so that you are intrinsically motivated, gain enjoyment, experience flow and grow as a result.
About the Author
Derek Tate is an author, coach and teacher and runs Derek Tate Coaching. His mission is to help others to flourish and get more out of life through better mental, emotional, and physical health. He offers mental skills coaching, alpine ski coaching, online courses and workshops and writes self help/psychology books.