[khan_sultan]

Almost everyone has been impacted with Covid-19 and slowly there is a realization that the post Covid-19 world will not be the same as before. We are already seeing signs of the change to come -- School education is changing, WFH for many companies will be become the norm, social distancing is here to stay for years, people wearing masks will be common place and not be seen as something out of the ordinary. Industries after industries are being impacted and new models of business, day-to-day functioning will evolve.

On same lines, at an individual level also, life would change for most post Covid-19. With almost 2 months of being forced into a lockdown, one would get good time to pause and reflect on deeper aspects of life -- What you truly want, where it is headed, what you doing etc. Aspects of your life which will make less / no sense now but were perfectly fine some months back? Aspects of life you took for granted?

For me these are some of the reflections:

• A deeper distinction between the needs & wants! Those dozen+pairs of shoes are of no use if there is no place to go to! Same for the clothes lying unused in the wardrobe!
• De-clutter, reduce -- minimalism as a way of life
• How much we take things for granted! Appreciate what we have got!
• Fragility of life and how all well laid plans can go into thin air
• Slightly contradictory to above but still the need of risk management & planning for your family and loved ones
• How unplanned we are for real emergencies and the need to plan for the same. Just like Business Continuity Planning happens at work, need to think of Continuity at home also.
• Reassess professional career and plan for life after work and be closer to family / friends
• Convenience & comfort at home is important -- whatever that means for an individual. For example, that dishwasher at home can be a life saver in absence of maids. That ergonomic chair for WFH scenario is priceless. So is high speed internet, good laptop etc.
• The amount of dependency we have on maids and other house-hold helps to run our lives.
• Cash is KING!!

What are the learning's for you and what/how will life change for you post Covid-19? What will you start doing and what will you stop/reduce?

[Eddy]

On the contrary, there is also a chance that a vaccine will soon be discovered making Covid preventable. And then everything goes back to like it was during Diwali 2019.

[nibedk]

Originally Posted by Eddy

On the contrary, there is also a chance that a vaccine will soon be discovered making Covid preventable. And then everything goes back to like it was during Diwali 2019.

Evolution is the name of the game. Evolve or perish or survival of the fittest.
Humans have either evolved or found ways to carry on with life. In the 21st century we will continue to do the same either through vaccine or changing our life style to carry on with our lives with the virus around.

The biggest take away apart from all points mentioned by the OP for humankind would be to accept that it may be the most superior species but there is still someone more superior to us. Call it God or Mother Nature or whatever one wants to call it. It just decided to heal itself and the result is there for everyone to see. Hope we don't see the day when it decides to vent its anger, fury and frustration on us.

Respect nature and whatever it has given us. We just don't stand any chance if it chooses to press the reboot button. It has happened earlier as well and can happen in the future. I sincerely hope that nature is just healing. If it has chosen to reboot then I pray that we die as painless a death as possible.

[dhanushs]

My mind was always stuck between choosing the fast urban life and slow-paced village life. With a lockdown like this, I've decided it's going to be the slow-paced village life.

The plan in the near future is to make life self-sustainable on our small farm. Milk, eggs, veggies, fruits and even meat. Right now, its only commercial. Also, learnt the importance of multiple sources of income, however small it is. So, further effort will go into creating passive income sources.

[GTO]

- No big expenses for a minimum of 1 year.

- Am not travelling international for at least 1 year.

- Will be appreciating true "freedom" a lot more. IMHO, we take way too much for granted.

- I started meditating during the lockdown and intend to continue doing so as a habit.

- Will be avoiding crowded places (restaurants, lounges, cinemas) until a proven vaccine is out and I have taken it.

- I think people are now realising the value of having a "safety cushion" in terms of cash + savings. Hope that the savings mindset becomes stronger, especially in the newer generation.

[Hayek]

1) I am someone who has had a crazy travel schedule through the last 20 years - weekly day trips to Delhi (on an average), a couple of trips a month to one of other Indian metros like BLR, HYD or MAA, 4-5 work related trips to the London and a 3-4 to New York each year. That has changed - my last trip abroad was in early February, I skipped a late Feb trip to London, and my last trip to Delhi was in early March. Suddenly you find that you can connect with clients as effectively through calls and video-conferencing. So left to me, I would cut down on travel drastically. But let’s see if clients move too and let us continue to connect online - in the service industry, we have to follow what our clients want.

2) I had been under the misconception that I have achieved most financial goals. With c 15% of my net worth in a conservative portfolio getting wiped out in a month, one realises that is not the case. I will probably have to rethink the lifestyle I can afford to lead - do I need a foreign holiday every year, and to keep traveling abroad for runs? Once again, until a vaccine is developed, this will be easy to implement. Longer term is still a question mark.

3) Connecting more with one’s family - the lockdown has helped me spend more time being around my wife and son than I ever have during a work week. I do think that is something I would like to continue.

4) Have never been one to visit cinema halls or pubs, though dining in restaurants was probably a weekly phenomenon. That will change, with restaurants getting cut out. I have always hated visiting malls - so this gives me a valid excuse to move virtually all shopping online.

5) I will still love holidays. How and where is a question? Does it make sense to buy a vacation home - when one can’t trust hotels and AirBNBs? How does that square with the need to save more? Unsure how that will develop.

[nax04]

Life has to move on.,

- As a food lover, I used to dine out atleast once a week and now I might stop it for a while until things settle down.

- Next one is about income and the saving habit. Until now I used to save / invest but the lockdown has given me a little nudge to think deeper on this area. Need to get money work for you in the future.

- Diverging your source of income ( Need to think about it and explore opportunities )

- Lastly I was planning to change my car this year end, but looks like it might go on hold for atleast one more year.

[1.2TSI7DSG]

- WFH for my wife (as much as possible) If this happens current 2 cars will suffice else get a small used car
- Personal Vehicles for everyone in the family who require daily travel- wife, dad & me
- Dad being above 65, will move to a completely advisory role
- May not require a full-time cook in the future; The zhadu pocha bartan maid will continue
- Intermittent WFH for me
- Very select & rare intake of alcohol, meat, outside food
- No travel except for VVVVI meetings
- Savings & investments to go big
- planning on getting a good cycle for exercise considering gym etc will remain a danger
- TV will come in this year
- AC next year
- Holidays will be put off for a long time except for home visits
- Driving will be my preferred way of travel (instead of flights/trains)
- in house parties will increase

[pganapathy]

For me things are never going to change. I have a simple question. Is anybody immortal. If not, why are people panicking. My philosophy is live life that way you want to and enjoy it while you can, because death is inevitable. No, I don't want to die young and needlessly, but living a cloistered life with nothing happening is just as bad

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by pganapathy

. Is anybody immortal. If not, why are people panicking. My philosophy is live life that way you want to and enjoy it while you can, because death is inevitable. No, I don't want to die young and needlessly, but living a cloistered life with nothing happening is just as bad

It is very simple. I would have been (relatively) more carefree had I been living alone. But what scares me the most is the risk of infecting elders or children in the family by becoming a carrier.

[RaceHorse]

I realized the importance of having an ergonomic setup for WFH situation, the very next purchase for me is a comfortable chair.

My kids became very close to me these days, I am spending quality time with them, teaching and playing with them.

No Holidays are trips for at least 1 year.

All the cravings for excess are died down, can live with whatever clothes, shoes, perfumes, Gadgets we have, unless they are unusable.

To avoid cabs, we are planning to purchase an Automatic car for my wife.

[2000rpm]

I realized the importance of earning Passive income some time back and have been trying to establish them, with limited success. I think I will fast track this. The job anxiety is something I dont want in such situation in the future. I want to hit the 50% of my current inhand salary within 3 years. That's the target I am taking.

Apart from my cars, I live a very simple lifestyle. No fancy watches, no fancy mobiles, no fancy brand clothes, no fancy dinners. With 50% of my current income, I can sustain even without a job.

Also, for my cars, I think I will have a annual budget for auto related spend and stick to it. I have typically over spent on this every year, because I get bored with my cars very soon. The current Polo 1.6 is a keeper though, will see how much maintenance does she incur.

I think I will also try to be in the moment when I am with my friends and family. I miss spending time with them, driving with them, just chilling at a friends restaurant, etc.

[luvDriving]

Things will change but I reckon it will be for the short term. Every time we step out, it will be into the unknown since we will never be really sure whether or not the next person I interact with has the virus. Hence washing hands with soap or carrying a sanitizer will become a norm.

More attention to be paid to the elderly (60+) people in the house. Minimizing their exposure will be our concern but they also need social contact - specially their friends and groups - so it will have to be handled carefully.

Our children have been cooped up for 2 months now and anyone having a child who is less than 10 years of age (especially children in the 3-7 age category) can realize the importance of children having their own world.

Masks will become a regular wear item just like inner wear.

All this and more will be a norm for the short term is what I feel. As we become accustomed to the new rules and regulations - wherever enforced - life will move on as normal. I think it is a case of hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

[Aafaq]

Life will move on as it has in the past!

This is not the first time such a pandemic has hit the world and I believe it won't be the last, life will get back to normal sooner or later as we have the natural tendency to adapt and forget!

Stay safe!

[Rajeevraj]

In my view the appreciation of the freedom we have is the biggest takeaway and needs to be appreciated. The fact that we would get into a lock-down, public transport (including trains and flights) would all be halted was something unimaginable and beyond my wildest dreams. And we may not go back to that completely open state for quite some time. Learning to live with that and adapt will be the biggest change. Some of the things that I normally do a lot off- example, watching movies in theaters, would be part of that adaptation.

Rest of the stuff about needs vs wants, alternate incomes, job security, medical expenses etc are things that have been a concern in any case for a lot of the workforce. This pandemic may bubble up their importance a bit more.