Picture 1. Looking for the future in a crystal ball (image source: Wix media)
It is 11:33 on Thursday 18th June 2020. The world seems a more turbulent place than I can ever remember in my lifetime. Coronavirus has wreaked havoc across the globe, decimating economies, leading to rising unemployment and discontent, and tragically the death of many people. Coupled with that we are seeing a huge movement towards better social equality for all which is challenging the status quo of government rule all around the globe and creating waves of turbulence. I myself lost my mum to cancer a couple of years ago, have recently been made redundant from my job of 12 years, have discovered that my father has been a victim of a horrific scam since my mum died and they have taken his life savings, and I am not sure what the future holds for me, my wife, and our three young kids. In this regard I suspect I am not alone and indeed many of you reading this will be enduring your own hardships and be wondering “what will the future look like for me?”.
I would like to take you on a short journey into the future… at least one possible version of it given the path we are on as individuals and a species. I wish to show you that our futures are not set in stone and that through our personal choices we can steer ourselves towards whichever destiny we ultimately desire for ourselves and our children.
The current situation
Picture 2. The Coronavirus (image source: Wix media)
In order to predict where we might be heading it is useful to look at where we are right now, where we have recently been and where our current trajectory is projecting us. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the United Kingdom recently published a report on personal and economic well-being in Great Britain May 2020 [1]. This gives us a great insight into how we are feeling as individuals and a country. The report highlights that
49.6% of people report a “high” rating of anxiety (up from 21% at the end of 2019)
20.7% reported “low” feelings for life satisfaction (up from 8.4% at the end of 2019)
The most common concerns expressed related to well-being, work, and finances
These insights indicate that the UK as a collective is not in a happy place. We are anxious and stressed about our health, job security, and being able to pay our bills. In this new and rapidly changing world our perception is of one of chaos, uncertainty, and potentially dangerous times ahead. This “feeling” has been growing rapidly since the end of last year, primarily because of the outbreak of Coronavirus. Some of us will have already felt the effects of the virus personally (maybe catching the disease, losing our jobs, or grieving for loved ones) and the rest of us have been bombarded 24/7 by an endless barrage from the media about everything that is going wrong in the world.
The physical and mental health of the country is not that good either as reported below by health statistics for the UK at the end of April 2019 [2]
Current life expectancy of 79.3 years for men and 82.9 years for women
The age up to which people could expect to live healthily is 63.1 years for men and 63.6 years for women
67% of adult males and 60% of adult females are overweight or obese
1 in 6 people experience a common mental health problem each week
6,507 suicides in 2018, 75% of which were by men
The leading causes of death are
Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
Ischemic heart diseases
Cerebrovascular disease
Chronic lower respiratory diseases
Lung cancer
It is true that our National Health Service does an exceptional job in patching up those of us that breakdown to keep us going a little longer, but the reality is that all of those top 5 cause of death are avoidable – they are diseases of our lifestyles, what we choose (either knowingly or not) to think, breath, drink, eat, and do everyday.
And then there is the employment health of the UK workforce looks to be standing on the edge of a precipice. Official figures from the ONS to date are only to the end of March 2020, just as the lockdown was initiated. The UK Government’s furlough scheme has certainly helped to shield many workers from the reality that they will not have jobs to go back to or will be forced to renegotiate both hours and pay with employers who are struggling to stay afloat. A recent article in The Guardian newspaper [3] quoted figures from the HMRC which showed that the number of people on PAYE (effectively being paid a salary by an employer) fell by 13,000 in March and by another 457,000 in April.
All in all it doesn’t look like a very bright picture right now.
One possible future…
Picture 3. A man feeling despair (image source: Wix media)
We could be heading for a future where many people are going to go through a period of hardship, where businesses and industries which once employed them fail and then hopefully look to rebuild themselves in a new capacity fit for the changing environment. I suspect that many of us will either become self employed contractors or work from a home office for much of our time.
As our work lives are interrupted by future uncertainty there will be an obvious knock on to the state of our finances. How certain are we that we will be able to pay the bills tomorrow let alone take the well earned but extravagant summer holiday each year? Many of us will have less disposable income and will have to learn to reign in our spending and prioritise essentials over luxuries. Many more will be concerned about the future and start to save for a rainy day.
Our well-being is directly affected by many factors both psychological and physical. All the unknowns can lead to a fear for our survival causing us anxiety and stress. Many of us deal with stress by trying to avoid it and distract ourselves by watching television, playing computer games, eating food, and drinking alcohol. Indeed, any behaviour which is probably destructive for our health and mind in the long term but gives our senses suitable immediate short lived high in the moment of now.
The long-term health outlook for us is a bleak one as we continue to live a lifestyle at odds with our DNA. Avoidable lifestyle diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and cancer (1 in 2 people in the UK born after 1960 will be diagnosed with some form of cancer during their lifetime [4]) will continue to thrive. Hopefully our medicine will be able to keep up with the demand for treatments which allow us to continue to limp along, but it is far more likely that the NHS will be crippled by the demand and we will be refused treatment for these avoidable diseases and rather have to take responsibility for our own health by modifying our lifestyles or suffer the inevitable consequences.
How can I change this?
Picture 4. The Roadmap to Change (image source: The Everyday Life Coach)
The great thing about the future is it is not set in stone. At this point in time right now there are an infinite amount of possible futures based on what happens in our environment, what you decide to make of it, and the actions and behaviours which you adopt and practice everyday. Right now though you are set on a course (whether you know it or not) and if you don’t change yourself and subsequently your life then don’t be surprised when that future rocks up and slaps you in the face. It may be that you are happy with where things are going, or do not want to think about these things and are happy to go along for the ride. But for some of us we want a bit of control over our futures so here are some simple steps for you to take:
1) Be extremely clear where it is you want to get to – your destination
What is your vision for yourself in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years, even on your death bed?
Why are you here? What is your purpose? It could be to change the world, to live every day to the fullest, to be the best mum or dad to your kids – anything at all, but it needs to resonate deeply with you.
Just like following a map you need to have an end destination in mind, otherwise you are just wandering and could turn up anywhere.
2) Research and understand what you need to successfully get there – your direction
How do you need to be and live?
What must you believe and think?
What actions and behaviours do you need to regularly complete?
Effectively this is your plan of action. When you know what you need to do and you understand what you currently do then you can look at the gap and realistically assess what it will really take to get to your chosen destination.
3) Do you have the desire and energy to get this done? – your fuel
Evaluate whether you have the daily energy to engage with the tasks you need to complete
Are you fundamentally healthy? Do you eat healthily, live an active lifestyle, make time for enough quality sleep and recovery?
Do you engage in activities, surround yourself with people, and / or technologies which unnecessarily drain your energy stores?
Anyone who tells you change is easy is lying to you. It is not. You are being you everyday because it is easy – you do not even have to think about it. Change requires both mental and physical effort which requires energy. You can modify your lifestyle to either provide you with an abundance of energy to focus on this new pursuit or you will likely become drained and give up.
4) Can you ensure you stay on the path – your tracking
You must have a method for measuring and assessing where you are on your journey at regular intervals – otherwise you could become lost and find yourself way off course.
Maybe utilize a coach who can help you honestly assess where you are and pull you back on track when you need it.
In conclusion…
Picture 5. A man contemplating his choices in life (image source: Wix media)
Global change is happening right now and likely to continue for some time at an unprecedented rate. Unfortunately, you are not going to be able to stick your head in the sand and ride this one out. You need to embrace it or get squashed by it.
The good news is that there is a lot that is within your direct control. Things that you can directly change and things that you can change your perception of, so they affect you in a different way. You may never really think about your everyday existence but being you does not happen by accident. In many ways it is a learned behaviour and habit which can be changed with focus, energy, and consistency.
If you really want to, you can do this.
Good luck!
References:
1) Hamilton, Gueorguie Vassilev and Mark. “Personal and Economic Well-Being in Great Britain: May 2020.” Office for National Statistics, Office for National Statistics, 3 May 2020, www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/bulletins/personalandeconomicwellbeingintheuk/may2020.
2) Butler, Danny. “UK Health Statistics 2020: Finder.” Finder UK, 26 Apr. 2020, www.finder.com/uk/health-statistics.
3) Elliott, Larry. “UK Unemployment Rate Is Set to Rocket, Even with the Furlough Scheme.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 19 May 2020, www.theguardian.com/business/2020/may/19/uk-unemployment-rate-furlough-jobs-market.
4) “Cancer Statistics for the UK.” Cancer Research UK, www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics-for-the-uk/incidence%23heading-Zero#heading-Three.
Commentaires