The current coronavirus pandemic is a time of unprecedented change, with things changing not only day-to-day, but hour-to-hour. It is causing us to question many areas of our live that affect us today, next week, next month, and years into our future.
A few of the questions that I hear being asked include:
– How long will I need to be at home? Can I go out in public? If so, where?
– Can I work from home and be able to do my job?
– How long will my kids be at home from school?
– Will I lose my job? Will I be able to return to work (for those people already out of work)?
– Will I be able to get food and essentials for my family? How about toilet paper and hand sanitizer?
– How much worse could it get both from a health and economic standpoint?
– How long will this last?
There are many others, and everyone has questions depending upon their particular situation. We all have many thought, feelings, and emotions during this time.
What causes frustration, anxiety, cabin fever, kids having more energy than parents can handle, and the myriad of other feeling we are having during this time is because our uncertainty.
When we encounter uncharted territory in our lives, something we are totally unfamiliar with, or a change we weren’t expecting, uncertainty brings out various questions aw we try to make sense of our circumstance. It also creates a situation where we don’t know what to do- often causing inaction on our part.
Uncertainty also leads to feeling a loss of clarity, confidence and control. A clear vision of our future, confidence in what our future holds, and control of what our future will look like. This is something I talk about with clients- creating clarity, confidence, and control.
In times like this, it is important to maintain our clarity of our future and confidence and control over our situation- to the extent we can. Learn what you need to better understand the current situation, do what you can to gain some additional confidence and control, and make the best decisions you can for your wellness (physical and financial) today and for your future. If you need some help, reach out to others for help and guidance.
A similar time of uncertainty occurs when considering making the transition into retirement.
A few of the questions that come up during this time include:
– When can I retire?
– Do I have enough saved to last my entire retirement?
– Will my lifestyle change? What changes do I need to make? Can I make?
– How will I fill all my newfound time?
– What do I really want to do? What will be meaningful and fulfilling to me?
– How will I stay relevant and connected during this time?
There are dozens of additional questions, but for many people, time of great uncertainty.
Many of these questions probably are going through your mind during current times, especially if you are close to retirement.
I mentioned at the beginning that this will affect us for years into the future. The downturn in the markets will change the timing and look of retirement for millions of people. How much it will change our retirement remains part of this uncertainty. Plan for these changes, both financially and non-financially. The sooner you begin planning your Encore the better.
When working with clients, I guide them toward seeking this clarity, confidence, and control mentioned previously. Find clarity of what you want your retirement to look like. Clarity leads to having confidence that you will have a happy and meaningful retirement. Having both clarity and confidence gives you control over what you will do during this time.
Achieving clarity, confidence, and control is achieved through planning. Be mindful be giving thoughtful consideration to the mental, physical, social, and spiritual aspects of our lives in retirement in addition to the financial aspects. Planning for both the Financial AND NON-Financial aspects is important to reduce the uncertainty you may feel.
Create clarity through designing a vision for your retirement. Gain the confidence in both your financial and non-financial areas of your vision for retirement. Feel in control of your future. You got this! You planned for it!
Be safe. Stay positive and happy. You will get through this time of uncertainty.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like additional information on how you can gain clarity, confidence, and control of your planning for the NON-Financial aspect of retirement.
