The New Normal is here. The way we live our lives last year is way too different whether we like it or not. And from my last video, I personally make a declaration that I want this new living than go back to the old one. I said it before and I say it again: ACCEPT THE NEW NORMAL AND CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOR THE BETTER. Because there’s no growth and maturity in being stuck inside your own old box of normal.
Having said that, you probably have questions now: HOW SHOULD I LIVE THIS NEW NORMAL? AM I GONNA ACCEPT THAT I’M GONNA LIVE A LIFE OF DEBT AFTER ECQ? IS IT REALLY WORTH IT ESPECIALLY THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT REALLY DOING ANYTHING?… *triggered sound*
Personally, I have some fair share of highs and lows during this ECQ. I never thought that I can be productive and fruitful during this quarantine because I’m the worst anxious person I ever knew. But because of strong convictions and godly wisdom from the Word of God and the best people in my life, I was able to take the ECQ times to learn new things, finish unfinished business, and so much more.
(Though I would also like to address that it’s ok also not to be productive and busy especially in this pandemic. It’s up to you how you handle your time, money, and resources. Don’t worry, no one’s judging you here.)
So as the new normal approach, let me share with you the ways you can be prepare and make the most out of this new phenomenon.
The New Normal: Create a plan
The saying “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail” never gets old especially in this pandemic. And as we start to live in this new normal, we have to assess ourselves and look at what are the things we should do so we will not put every good opportunity down to waste.
Every opportunity has a different approach to different people. So All of us, young or old, rich or poor, have something to plan on. The goal of creating a life plan is to see what we want and should do with our lives. We should not let ourselves be lazy even in this new normal.
One of the very basic questions that will help you plan are the following:
– What goal should I achieve after this ECQ? (goal orientation)
– How much should I earn so I can pay my bills on time? (money management)
– Am I gonna change my fashion sense and cut my hair? (image development)
– What should be my weekly schedule just in case I go back to the office? (time management)
– What are the online class should I attend? (self-improvement)
– What are the things I can do to manage my anger or be less exaggerated with my emotions? (emotional development)
– Should I seek a counselor to help me deal with my depression? (mental health care)
- For parents, we might start planning for our kid’s education by choosing online learning or homeschool.
- For students, we can look for better ways to improve our study habits or learn new hobbies.
- For Employees, maybe this is the time we should learn time management and improve our work-related skills; or even meet new people (for singles *wink*)
- Or for the newly graduates or unemployed, this should be the year that you apply for that dream job.
Whatever roles or status you’re in, each of us has responsibility for growth and development. And regardless of what we went through during this ECQ, we have to accept the fact that this new normal is NOT AN ENEMY. This new normal is our friend and we have to plan how we can nurture and develop ourselves this season. And that depends on how you plan.
Be Realistic
This might be similar to creating a plan. But creating a plan is way too different from knowing what you really want to achieve. Personally, I used to be stuck to my own “unrealistic” goals thinking that it’s doable. And guess what? None of those goals ever happen and that’s sucks. But please don’t condemn yourself
Planning during a global crisis is outrageous, For some, it’s really difficult because no one knows if we’re going to survive the upcoming bills. So planning may be daunting. However, as long as you’re realistic and true to what you want to achieve, I believe you won’t have any problem living this new normal. Because it’s merely all about opening yourself to new opportunities and growth.
One I can suggest is you go on to this planning is:
- See where you are in your season.
As a parent, where are kids now in terms of their growth?
As kids, how are you coping in staying at home for the past 2 months?
As singles, do you consider yourself financially independent? And how are you growing in your workplace?
- Seek help from reliable and wise people that can speak life and truth about where you are now. Because like love, you should not be one-sided *triggered*
- What you have today? Financially, mentally, maturity, and all aspects, are you in abundance, in balance, or in lack?
- What has the quarantine brought to your attention that you hadn’t previously realized? For example, more screen time may have caused you to note that you need new glasses and to check out the big selection out there. Or you may need more space at home for work, so want to carve out an area that you can use for that.
So planning with a grip of reality is like a kite on a string. You might soar high or be in limit, it doesn’t matter. This new normal addressed many realities in life I need to see. And with that, planning is less difficult.
Be Expectant
The New Normal might be good or bad for all of us. Especially during this ECQ, no one really knows what lies ahead after this pandemic. Am I gonna change jobs or ever to get married in this lifetime? No one knows that except myself. Actually, you may find yourself not following what you have planned after six months for some reason. But somehow we can get the grip on the reality that it’s up to us how we want to work things out.
Yes, people, it’s all about having the right expectations. It’s about being kind to ourselves and others in the way how we gonna live this new normal. And yes, no matter how we plan, there will still backfire be, setbacks, and disappointments. But if we put ourselves to the right expectations, it might lead us to good sanity. For me, it’s like, “Lord, I want to get married. It may not this year, but soon it will happen.” *wink*
So people, if you decide to live in this new normal, let’s better make it right and awesome. And don’t ever think of going back to your old normal. Let’s plan, be realistic and be expectant on what the #NewNormal will give.
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