Opportunities From Covid-19?

Welcome to the first actual post on my new blog about early retirement. My original plan was to start with some info on how I was able to make the transition from working to retirement and write about what I’ve been doing since February now that I don’t have to get up and go to work anymore. Covid-19 changed my plans drastically as I’m sure it has impacted you. I’m thankful to not have to be on conference – or worse, video - calls all day as that would drive me crazy.

For me, the lockdown due to Covid-19 meant a forced detox from the corporate world. I had planned on that detox, but the lockdown has meant not being able to see friends, get out to the brewery around the corner, or even to shop other than for groceries. I’ll cover more about what I’ve been doing with my time in future posts, but I want to focus on how the forced change in how we work could be your ticket to ease into retirement – early or otherwise.

If you’ve been working from home you have proven to your boss that you can work independently and be at least as productive as you were in the office. Since everyone who can is working at home, companies are going to re-think the need for office space as things open up again. Do they need all those cubicles and offices? Does everyone need to be in the office every day? Has the new way of working shown companies that they can function fully with fewer people – or at least fewer full-time employees? Have new opportunities arisen out of the new way of working? Odds are companies will embrace the cost-cutting measures put in place during the lockdown long after it is over, and there-in lies your opportunity.

Is there an opportunity to re-shape your role to make it more valuable to the company and more satisfying to you? If you are in the retirement zone, can you move to a part time role to continue to add value while transitioning to retirement? If your company is downsizing, are there retirement packages available? Is working from home a way to make that transition by providing more flexibility in when you work?

Covid-19 has forced the evolution of a new normal that will impact us all for years to come. For those who embrace that evolution with new business models, or who re-invent themselves, the opportunities are limitless. For me, one opportunity was to jump into the world of blogging to share my insights and experiences. Until about 2 months ago, the thought of having my own blog never entered my mind. Now it is just one of the things I want to do in addition to volunteering and focusing on things that I enjoy. I intend to keep busy and may even look for a paid role but it will not be called “work”.

Retirement no longer means sitting in a rocking chair watching the world go by, it’s about the opportunity to focus on what you were too busy working to do. Taking the plunge is scary, but for me, it has been liberating and I look forward to being able to focus on things I enjoy and to new experiences and opportunities.