I was walking with my kids in the park close to us yesterday. The sun was out, people were exercising, bluebells were shooting and everything looked very green. It was stunning and all very normal and springtime. Except it wasn’t. It was a Monday morning at around 9:30am. I should have been at my desk. The kids should have been at school. Except we weren’t.

Each of us will have our own specific memories of this lockdown period. Some will remember it for the fight of their lives against a hidden enemy; others will remember it far more prosaically – for time at home pursuing new ideas, engaging in new habits, thinking new thoughts about how we’re all going to live our lives when we get back to ‘normal’.

But what will be ‘normal’? And I mean that specifically for each individual, rather than will it be normal for people to wear masks on the Tube (hint: yes).

Will each of us go back to the way we have done things? I think probably for the most part yes, but I also think there will be a number of us for whom this strange period has changed us. Given us new ideas, new beginnings, a chance to pause and reflect and then decide to change something for the future.

Moments to reflect

These are actually moments to cherish. Life (especially those of us fortunate to have families and/ or live in big cities) gets busy. Day to day there is so much stuff going on, how often do we often get a chance to stop and think “Is this what I really want to do be doing?” or “Is this the direction I really want to be taking my life?”.

Your life does not equal your money

I am in a very privileged position to be able to have those conversations with people. Yes, the overall context is money and finances, but money is just numbers on a page. Money is simply a vehicle that allows us to do what we want, to live how we want and pursue the direction we want to pursue.

The entire point of what I do is not just looking at pensions and recommending ISAs, it’s far deeper than that. It’s helping each of you think about how you want to live your life and giving you the plan and structure to know you can do that with confidence so that you have enough to get you by.

Everyone can benefit from this conversation

From my conversations, there is a lot of reflection going on at the moment – your family, friends and colleagues are probably thinking the same way.

If you feel they would benefit from a conversation about a new beginning, our door is always open.

Stay well,

Adam Walkom