If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there
Lewis Carol
We have been living with this pandemic for over 6 months now. The situation is slowly improving. Over the summer we are able to engage in many outdoor activities. Stores are slowly re-opening their doors and some of us have returned to work in an office. In-person classes start again at schools this week.
But all of these seem so tentative. Our anxiety tells us that things could change overnight. We might experience another lockdown shortly if the infection cases spike, or if flu season hits hard this fall.
Many of us have our projects derailed and dreams broken this year. As we continue to feel that the current situation remains uncertain and chaotic, our lives seem to be put on hold. We cannot even think of what will happen the next week – let alone the next few months or next year.
But this is the perfect moment to come up of things that we look forward to, or to make plans for our future.
These activities seem very silly and laughable. Why do we even bother when we do not know what will happen tomorrow?
The pandemic is real, and our feelings of lost and anxiety are very valid. But are we sure about what will happen the next day even “back then before the pandemic”?
The future will always be scary and stressful, thinking of it will always make us nervous. That is why we need to work on our plans, to imagine a potential future – the one that is filled with good times and positive outcomes. Having a list of things to look forward to (or to accomplish) cheers us up. It also keeps us optimistic and motivated.
It is important to start small when putting together plans or things to look forward to during this uncertain time. Think of treating yourself with a special delivery meal from your favorite restaurant or putting on your favorite dress for an evening (even when you aren’t really going out). The key is to create an upbeat experience for ourselves.
And just because our plans got sidetracked, it doesn’t mean that we have to abandon them completely. This “pause” may give you just the time you need to iron out some details and tweak it for the better.
We might not always know where we are going, but it’s important to know where we want to go at the first place. In other words – don’t ever give up hope.