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How To Plan For The Future

2020 has been a year that saw many plans go awry, and many expectations fly out the window. While a stay at home orders have been relaxed in many areas, it is difficult to predict what the coming months will bring and how far social distancing measures will stretch into the future. The pandemic has the potential to change the global landscape for years to come. Yet, we must find ways, not only to survive this period, but to create something positive within it, and to find ways to imagine the future with continued hopefulness. So, how can we achieve this when we don’t know what’s around the corner, and when so much feels outside of our control? 

Focus on the things you can control 

It is never easy to cede the things we can’t control, and there are a lot of things that fall into that category; perhaps more now than ever. Focusing on those things and trying to bend them to our will is going to be a lesson in frustration. Instead, notice what you can control and spend your energy there. A few examples of things we can control are:

  • Taking the appropriate measures to safeguard ourselves and others. Follow medical and expert guidance with regards to reducing the spread of the virus. Let’s take care of each other; if ever we were in something together, this is it.
  • Taking care of our health. Try to stick to an exercise schedule if you can but don’t use it as a stick to beat yourself with if you miss a day; listen to your body and your energy and if you need to rest, do. Having a goal or a guide can simply be a way to encourage you to stay active. Similarly, pay attention to your nutrition and ensure you’re getting a healthy, balanced diet. 
  • Keep in contact with people you care about. Try to do this as regularly as you can and keep channels of communication open while being aware of technology fatigue; sometimes you may need a break from the zoom calls. However, just because we may be physically distanced from our loved ones doesn’t mean we can’t continue to find a connection. 

Find innovative ways to pursue your goals. 

You might have been hoping to undertake a course this year; perhaps you were about to enter into higher education, or maybe you were looking for a career change. You might simply have wanted to expand your skill-set and qualifications for your own growth and enjoyment. You needn’t delay your progress. The wonderful thing about the advancement in technology is that we can do so much without stepping out of the house. This means that for many people, education and career development can continue, even within a global pandemic. Online learning has many benefits, and it’s an increasingly popular choice, meaning that there are a growing number of course options available to suit a vast variety of education and career goals. Higher education institutions are increasingly taking their learning online and adapting their course content to make it accessible to students regardless of their circumstances or location.

For some courses, time spent in a lab or lecture hall is non-negotiable, however for many, such as an associate of arts online degree, you needn’t set foot out of the house if you don’t want to. A growing number of degrees and other courses are becoming, essentially, pandemic-proof, by transitioning fully online. 

Act in the service of others. 

Taking the focus away from ourselves and finding ways to be of use of other people can be a great way to reduce feelings of depression and anxiety and to minimize frustration when we feel out of control of aspects of our own lives or the wider world. Studies even suggest that acts of kindness can actually contribute to our own happiness. 

A wonderful way to find and provide hope in this challenging time is to support others. You might have neighbors who are elderly or immunocompromised and so particularly vulnerable and continuing to shield at home even while others are beginning to venture out. This is a great time to lend support to those who may be isolated and having a particularly tricky time. Perhaps you can offer to go grocery shopping for them or even just give them a call a couple of times a week to check-in and provide some friendship and conversation. Small gestures of kindness can have an enormous impact in ways we can’t begin to know.

Adjusting our attitude and focus during this period can alter its impact on us and on those around us for the longer term. It has the potential to be a time of greater community and connection, developing new interests and pursuing goals which had lain dormant for too long. Rather than being a year that we consider lost or wasted, we can create a year of transition and developing positive habits which can shape our lives going forward. 


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How To Plan For The Future

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