Abundance in a Raging Pandemic
Experiment: Project ReGrowth
Do you rubberneck? It’s hard not to do it.
In March, I focused on watching the waves of the NewNormal unfolding. It was my way of feeling in control over humanity’s dose of forced change and constant uncertainty.
During COVID I’ve found myself bouncing between the scarcity mindset of “I have no [time]” or abundance “look at these new opportunities.”
I’ve never lived through a forest fire, but I am living through a plague.
Humor me and look at this pandemic as a raging global forest fire impacting all 7.8 billion people.
The world shift from COVID is undeniable. Every age and industry feels the impact.
Like forest fires, the pandemic came from nature or a human mistake. It destroys what’s in its path often making random exceptions. As we’ve seen in California and Australia. The destruction is decimating. The analogy can keep going with our front line workers being the smokejumpers and __________.
The remains of a burnt-out property which was impacted in late December 2019, in Bruthen South Victoria, Australia, January 4, 2020. Photo by: AAP Image/James Ross via REUTERS
Eventually, the fires become contained but not extinguished. A moment of environmental change risks re-ignition. We are creatures of nature, and it’s our actions that continue to reignite this pandemic.
I am not interested in the COVID destruction, but on this hurricane of change being imposed on everyone.
Forest fires are critical for our natural ecosystem. Usually triggered by lightning, the fire consumes the dry and brittle flora smothering growth on the forest floor.
Photo by Alfred Kenneally on Unsplash
In its wake, the fire leaves a nutrient-rich soil ripe for the forest regrowth to flourish.
Focusing on COVID as a global forest fire gives us a game-plan to harness this time and steer the outcomes of our NewNormals.
As this raging pandemic passes through, the question is what regrowth do we need to protect and foster?
This concept took shape during discussions with my good friend and education visionary Dr. Bill Brennan. He makes it clear when mapping the future, “I don’t want it to be the same for our schools or for me. The global education system has never experienced this level of disruption before. We have a choice – embrace the chaos and the opportunities or be paralyzed.”
COVID has given us the opportunity to support the tectonic shift happening in education and virtually every other vertical. Everyone has the choice to see this time as horrific destruction or growth opportunities poking out of nutrient rich soil.
Instead of rubbernecking the NewNormals, here’s a social experiment called ProjectReGrowth.
The Experiment (using the ThirtyTenZero framework to explain)
@30,000 ft. Define the Target- Hypothesis: We can direct the NewNormals by engaging in this time of shared uncertainty with focused thought and intentional action.
@10,000 ft. – Focus on why now? – The COVID environment simplifies what we deem important. Our clarity of purpose has fewer barriers. COVID burns away the nonsense.
@0 ft. – Action – Join me in engaging in this experiment by answering the four questions in the Typeform below.
The purpose of ProjectRegrowth is to:
Create a simple framework for people to harvest abundance during COVID destruction and uncertainty.
Identify the actions needed to support an evolving NewNormal
Learn from, inspire, and align you the impact makers in owning this change
Process
Enter your email/ Twitter handle so I can give you credit for your genius
You will be asked the following quetsions
What has this COVID “forest fire” destroyed for you (personally and/or professionally)?
What are you hoping the COVID “forest fire” continues to destroy?
What specific regrowth are you hoping will emerge and take root?
What specific actions can you do to protect and cultivate this regrowth?
Answers will get populated to an airtable database that will eventually be shared below. You can submit anonymously, but that’s less fun in this social experiment.
You connect with the impact maker with a vision for a shared regrowth.
Experiment Success Metric: 50 people share their responses
Updates @ ProjectReGrowth. Reach out with any questions.
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