Welcome!

This is a private section for apprentices I work with. It will not appear in the navigation so you will have accessed it via a link I have shared with you. 

This area is divided into introductory videos – getting started, information about assessment etc. 

It will be an evolving section and I will try and update you as / when things change. 

Staying on track (and breaking the failure / frustration cycle)

The diploma is an exciting and inspiring course. At times, however, it can be frustrating (isn’t every course?!). The learning process is such that sometimes the effort we put in doesn’t reap the success we hope for and we can become discouraged. And then we put in more effort and if again don’t attain what we’re hoping for, we can become even more discouraged and some of us can stall and even give up. 

Where ever you are in your Diploma journey this will probably occur at some point. 

There are some strategies than can help break that cycle and hopefully reinvigorate you if you’re finding yourself in that place right now. 

• Take time for effective self-reflection.
  One of the components of the design assessment process is ‘reflection’. We train ourselves, through doing the diploma, to reflect on the process that we’ve used in each design and assess its success or lack of, it’s appropriateness or inappropriateness. By doing this we can be dispassionate in how we look at the designs we are doing. Tony Robbins says: ‘There is no such thing as failure, there are only results. And those results are a success and/or a learning experience’. By always looking for the learning it can help soften negative emotional feelings and help us keep on track.
• Being kind to ourselves.
  How often do you say this to others but find it hard to take on for yourself? Being kind to ourselves can go such a long way in helping us overcome the frustration of dealing with the process. Practically, it can include things like rewards regardless of outcomes, pausing and spending time getting energy to rejuvenate ourselves. Take a moment to think about what being kind to yourself means to you and then commit to apply it each day.
• Avoiding isolation.
  This can involve connecting with other apprentices and connecting with me (your tutor) or other tutors you’re working with.
  Useful ways of doing are to book regular tutorials, join the diploma facebook group (opens in a new window), attend the regular MOGs (Monthly Online Gatherings) for apprentices (4th Tuesday  of the month zoom: 85238800908 p/w: observe) and other gatherings such as the Diploma gathering and Permaculture convergence.
• Identifying our learning preferences.
  Sometimes the way we are working is about fitting in with another persons way of working eg fellow apprentices or tutors leading so the frustrations we are feeling are simply because we’re not doing it the way that is most effective for us. The diploma is a self-directed course which gives immense flexibility in the way you can approach it. For many people, engaging with self-directed learning is a new thing (which takes us back to being kind to ourselves and effective self reflection) and if that’s the case for you, I’d encourage you to spend some times thinking of ways you can make this process really effective for you.

And where ever you are in this process you’re exactly where you’re meant to be.