Though I’m from Saskatchewan, believe it or not I don’t like curling. My authentic Saskatchewan friend, who loves it, reminded me that the season is starting up soon.
One of the modified rules for curling during Covid allows only one sweeper on the ice at a time. (Luckily for all, it won’t be me!)
Though Covid-19 has caused the cancellation of many things, there are a lot of things we can still do, or can do again, like curling for example. Where there’s a will we create a way. There are many examples.
Many encounters are now online:
• Business and social meetings
• Training and education
• Doctors and patients
• Church services
Events have been modified:
• All kinds of people are working from home doing all kinds of jobs.
• Professional sports and concerts are taking place without a live audience.
• National news anchors and guests report from home offices and balconies.
Businesses have pivoted:
• Car manufacturers have turned to manufacturing ventilators.
• Restaurants shifted their menus and their service to take-out. Bar codes are replacing paper menus for onsite dining.
Is it not remarkable how creative and resilient we are in accommodating safety, desire and the delivery of pretty much everything?
I don’t deny for one minute the hardships incurred with this pandemic, but we must also recognize how adaptable we are as a civilization. It’s inspiring. While some businesses fail, others are booming or are being launched.
We’ve seen the explosion of some healthy habits and business success too, with gardening and bike sales, for example. Hiking trails are being highly utilized. More supportive services than ever before are being offered online.
If you’re stuck between the fridge and the pantry, or any other difficult spot, it might be time for some out-of-the-box thinking. First get out of the box. Head to a park bench or a mountaintop and let the neurons fire.
Try to look at your challenge, as an opportunity. Try brainstorming. It really does cultivate creativity when you use a “Yes, and” approach versus “Yeah, but” which has a reverse effect.
Questions to consider to stimulate ideas:
• What are you doing that’s working, but just needs modifying or tweaking?
• If you were going to reinvent yourself like a car manufacturer, what might be possible?
• What persona would you like to shed?
• What, or who, are you curious about becoming?
Just like we no longer use floppy disks or telephone books, sadly some things won’t survive this pandemic. It might be time for you to do things differently too. The sky’s the limit when you get creative.
But if you’re a curler, please follow the rules for the sake of my Saskatchewan friend. She’s already mourning the absence of the Roughriders.