The arrival of a symbolic “Freedom Day”, hopefully on July 19th,  will mark the start of a new phase in our lives. Most of us have been forced to slow down by the pandemic and reflect on what is really important to us. So, as we enter this new “freedom” phase, what have you decided to change and how can you make it happen?

At the turn of the century, climate scientists studying atmospheric pollution caused by aeroplanes dreamt of a way in which they could establish a baseline where they could measure the atmosphere without the effect of any air traffic. This seemed to be an impossible goal as planes circled the planet 365 days per year. Then came the events of 9/11 and a golden window opened for those scientists as the unimaginable happened and the skies fell silent, if only for 24 hours.

What would happen if another incredible world event forced all of us to Stop. And. Think about how we were living our lives and what we could change for the better? Well, along came another “once in a lifetime” event and the unimaginable happened again.

A giant brake was applied to our frenetic lifestyles and we were forced to stop running from taxi to airport to train station and from work to shopping centre to birthday party to the next unmissable appointment.

For more than a year, most of us have been locked-down in one form or another and given an unexpected and precious gift. The time to Stop. And. Think.

Indeed, for all its horrors, the pandemic has been a unique opportunity for the world to Stop. And. Think. There has been much talk about building back better. What have we learnt from our enforced lockdown and how can we apply those lessons so that things don’t just go back to how they were before? This is the challenge we face at every level from global climate change all the way down to our individual lives.

The arrival of a symbolic “Freedom Day”, hopefully on June 21^st, will mark the start of a new phase in our lives.  We are all emerging from the pandemic with a different understanding of what is really important to us and a revaluation of some things that we thought were important which now somehow seem to be less essential.

For some, this has been fundamental and they have already entirely changed the way they live, witness the migration of several hundred thousand people from London to a more rural existence. Others have made smaller adjustments to their thinking and daily habits. Many are still absorbing the upheaval and wondering what changes, if any, they will make.

What thinking have you been doing and what changes have you been considering, big or small? How can you build back better? Identifying the changes you would like is sometimes the easy bit, finding a way to make them happen is often much harder.

How about ensuring that, as we hopefully start to leave the pandemic behind, you make at least one small change to the way you were using your money and time in what I guess we will now come to know as “pre-pandemic”.

Financial Life Planning is a great way to focus this thinking. It is about juggling two precious and finite resources, your money and your time and scoping the potential you have to make changes.