It has been 4.5 months since we all begun what we call our new normal. A time where you grab your keys, wallet and mask before you leave the house. Social distancing is practiced and sadly, gatherings have had to take a back seat. I think that we are all getting to a place where we are starting to ponder what the future looks like. What does life look like after Covid? I’m trying to make a habit of not skipping ahead to next year or the year after. Rather, finding beauty in the peace that exists around me while growing my little baby. But some days… it’s hard!
So I try and remember that one day we will all describe this time to someone that didn’t experience it, a different generation than our own. I will describe this time to my children as a time where most of the world was on pause, a time when airports and roads were less congested. A time where children began playing outside again. A time of yielding to the unknown. I hope we can all look back at this time and find something special about it. And if we can’t today… it’s never too late. After all, hindsight is 2020. – Jessica
YOUR LIFE
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed life as we know it. When the worst of this crisis is behind us, we’ll be living in the “new normal.” Maybe face masks will become fashion statements. Maybe video conferences will become the norm and secluded lunch meetings the exception. There are a lot of maybes, but life is not going to just reset to what it was before the crisis. It is important to think about what life will look like for you in the post-pandemic world. This is something we have begun to look at and implement to better serve you (our clients).
We have started a monthly Zoom call, open to all clients, on the third Thursday each month. We hope these calls help everyone stay connected while we are separated. And, as long as we are separated, we plan to continue doing review calls via video conference. We will also be adding (and doing) more tax and estate planning for 2020 and beyond. What is your new normal? How do you plan on coming out of this crisis? Are you going to implement quarantine routines into your every day life? Are you going to stay connected with family and friends via video conference, rather than a standard phone call? Take this crisis as an opportunity to make a positive change in your daily life and create your own new normal. – Hunter
YOUR LEGACY
The new normal probably means that limitations are going to continue to affect our everyday lives. We might continue the do-it-yourself things like home improvement projects, cooking meals in, accommodating working from home or suddenly becoming a home school teacher. In the work place, employers might expand the support you are given, let you work remotely more often, or put more focus on making sure you are thriving in a work-life balance. Some offices are closing their doors to transition to 100% remote work. Virtual events are becoming as popular as in person events, and video conferences are changing the way businesses operate.
Since March, priorities have been reevaluated and are continuing to be. Innovations are flourishing, because after all, necessity is the mother of invention. I believe humans are social creatures and the absence of real-world interactions could make it difficult to build and maintain trusted relationships. In these uncertain times, the new normal mindset reinforces this idea that the world and our emotions should have settled by now.
Allowing ourselves to cope means not normalizing this situation and quickly moving forward, but giving ourselves time to truly process it. It is okay to not be comfortable with what is going on. It is okay to be frustrated or scared. But it is important to start getting your life back. As you look at what your new normal will be, how are you going to balance the ever increasing digital communication and genuine, real-world connections? – Kaylyn