
We live in crazy and unpredictable times. The coronavirus outbreak has created a lot of uncertainty about the future and put us into situations we’ve never thought were probable. Social distancing has been both a challenge and an opportunity. Now, when we see the tide turning and things slowly going back to normal, there is a new question to ask yourself: what is the new normal you want to return to?
There’s no doubt, that the current times of self-isolation and job uncertainty has put enormous stress on many of us.
The whole world has been facing great challenges that won’t stop any time soon, and every one of us faces uncertainty about what lies ahead. How will the job market look like? Will many of us switch our offices to remote work for good? And when can we travel worry-free?
Since my job has been mostly connected to commodity investing, and there was a lot going on in oil and gold markets in the past few weeks, I’ve been one of those lucky ones who actually had more career opportunities lately and has been sought after as a specialist in my niche. And my books on commodity investing have been selling like crazy!
But of course, many things have changed for me as well. My frequent travels stopped abruptly and, since my apartment became a place I spend almost 100% of my time, I had to get used to a totally new routine.
As lockdowns are lifting, one by one, many of us are eager to get back to normal.
But “normal” isn’t what it used to be.
According to the survey I ran in the Good Life Community, only half of up-until-now frequent travelers will be comfortable enough to return to international travels this year, even if they are allowed to. We’re itchy to get out of the house, but the pandemic fears are far from over.
But getting back to normal took on a new, more individual dimension.
Lives and careers changed. Some of us lost our jobs or face the risk of being laid off, others have been working remotely for the first time in their lives – or for the first time for so long. No matter which scenario happened to you, you’ve probably felt the need to reinvent yourself somehow.
What’s the new normal you want to come back to?
If you want to make changes in your life, this may be the right moment.
Here’s what you can do:
1. Reassess your career.
The job market contracted, so this isn’t a good time to be picky. But instead of going into standby mode like many people, be proactive and ask yourself some important questions.
Do you like what you do for a living?
What will your industry and your job look like in 5 or 10 years if you stay where you are?
Will your skills be needed in the future?
Have you thought of a career change for a while? Why?
What would you love to do if money wasn’t an issue?
Do you want to become an entrepreneur one day?
Are there any business ideas you’d love to pursue?
… the list goes on, but you know the drill.
I know – these are difficult questions. But this exercise can make things easier 🙂
2. Start a side hustle, finally.
I’ve been preaching repeatedly about the benefits of creating a few streams of income on this blog – and for a reason. Having a variety of side hustles changed my life and opened door to new opportunities.
If you’ve ever seriously thought about building a side project, do it now. Don’t postpone these steps until the next week or month. There won’t be a better time. The economy may be tough now, but it will rebound sooner or later.
In times of uncertainty, focus on what’s certain: your actions. You can control your choices, you have full decisiveness about your goals. Make use of that by creating, step by step, the lifestyle you’ve always dreamed of.
Make necessary research, create a simple website, find freelancers to help you with your business, etc. Starting a business can be ridiculously cheap nowadays.
Side hustle is not merely a way to create a new source of income. It would also boost your self-confidence – you owe it to yourself.
Ready?
If you don’t know where to start, read here how to create a side business, step by step.
3. Learn a new skill.
Even if you’re not ready for a pivotal moment in your career, you probably have a few ideas on new skills you could learn to improve your CV or – what’s even more important – bring more joy to your life.
Maybe you had plans to take up an online course about marketing. Or, you’ve always wanted to play the guitar that sticks in the corner of your room and you haven’t touched it since high school.
And how about learning a new language and feel less like a tourist on your next trip? Even though you probably can’t fly to Spain right now, you can have online lessons and conversations with a native.
Dust off your self-improvement plans. Maybe they will lead to an a-ha moment. Or maybe you’ll just have some fun – that doesn’t sound bad, either.

Just start and see what happens.
4. Spend more quality time with your family and call your friends.
Social distancing is hard, but if you stay home with your family, it creates a great opportunity to finally have time to talk to them and get to know them better.
We’re often too busy on an everyday basis to talk about the thoughts and dreams of the people we live with. We tend to take their presence for granted.
And since you don’t waste time commuting to work, you have more time to call your friends and ask them how they are doing.
Nowadays, thanks to technology, self-isolation doesn’t need to feel lonely.
5. Take care of your body.
Since you don’t waste time commuting to work, you can finally find time to take care of your body. We often overlook it, as we’re busy with every day’s errands, but having a healthy body is a priority, especially because it’s also good for your brain.
There are many possibilities to move your body at home: doing yoga, YouTube aerobics, sports apps with personalized training programs, etc. Some outdoor sports are also already allowed.
6. Catch up on reading and feel inspired.
I know this sounds like a piece of advice from Captain Obvious, but reading books isn’t a waste of time. It has many benefits: engages our imagination, it brings inspiration and new ideas, it makes us reflect on our everyday life.
Many of the most successful people in history have practiced the habit of regular reading.
Warren Buffett reads every day in the morning, and Bill Gates’s reading habits are legendary (did you know that Gates have been practicing self-isolation regularly and eagerly read books during these days?). Productivity guru Tim Ferris reads for an hour every day before going to sleep.
Reading books is more powerful than you think.
So, you know what to do. Dust them off the shelves or buy those ebooks on your Kindle.
7. Write a book.
Staying at home for a prolonged time can be a great opportunity to focus on your personal brand.
How about writing a book and creating a passive source of income this way?
Writing a book is not only doable, but it’s more accessible and convenient than ever before!
Everyone has a story or knowledge they can share. Don’t put off dreams about writing your own book – the hard truth is that if you don’t start now, you may never write it.
Here are some tips on how to make the process easier.
8. Create a travel bucket list.
We can’t travel right now, but this situation won’t last forever.
Create a bucket list – write down all the places you’d love to visit when you finally can.
Prepare an overall plan of your trip – where you’d want to stay, how much money you’d need, what sort of transportation would be the most convenient.
Although we still don’t know how traveling will look like in the few months, it’s easier to modify your basic, well thought out plan than to make it from scratch.
Besides, creating a bucket list and a travel plan will make the waiting much easier.
Summing up …
If anything good comes out of this pandemic, it’s the fact that we have more time to reflect on our lives and look at ourselves from a different perspective.
A new reality is unfolding in front of our eyes.
The wind of change is blowing – don’t escape change, embrace it!
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