Many pre and post retirees are talking about having their futures postponed by the Covid-19 epidemic and the uncertainty of the protests and violent riots occurring across the country. This year has been an extremely difficult time to REWIRE when everything has become so unpredictable and erratic. The major impact of job loss, furloughs and financial stress has created a landscape that we have never witnessed before in our lifetime. We have been forced to stop our normal routines. Now we are waiting for our lives to start up again.Many Boomers who remember the strife filled years of the late 1960s are comparing them to today. They are similar in many ways. While there was no pandemic there was a flu epidemic that killed over 100,000 people; there was a space launch; and there was tremendous civil unrest do to the racial divide and the Viet Nam war. Sounds and scenes of the past look familiar today. Yes we were younger then, but like now, filled with hopes and dreams.
Some of us were using our time of quarantine to reflect, to get organized or to just ponder possibilites. Some of us were actually getting serious about making some changes. Change can be daunting and anxiety provoking. and now the reality of our collective circumstances is forcing us to step back and perhaps deal with some of that change. The plans many of us had in place may not be valid anymore or have become so altered and distant that they lack clarity and a slim chance of becoming a reality. It is one thing to decide to change our timetables for life; it's another to have forces beyond our control change it for us. It's a good time to remind ourselves that not being in control doesn't necessarily mean you are out of control. Because our forward progress has been stopped doesn't mean it won't start again.
Rewiring has no expiration date, since it's based on your desires and needs. However some of the things you want to rewire might have time frames. You need to consider incorporating any revised schedules into your plans.
Making time to reflect is always valuable. Self discovery can be confirming or disruptive, and its up to you to rethink your priorities, timetables, even new activities that will fulfill you. Once we get back on track and through this terribly unexpected disruption you may discover that you have different needs than you did back in March. The adage that tough times don't last, but tough people do is often the case. Winston Churchill's famous line of Keep Calm and Carry On! has become our motto.
