As we near the year anniversary since the UK entered the first national lockdown, and we edge closer to the current lockdown restrictions lifting, it’s got us thinking about experiences we’ve missed, memories we’ve made and the lockdown lessons we’ve learned.

Recently our Managing Director, Rebecca Aldridge, mentioned a conversation she had with a client about a cupcake recipe they could use when baking with their granddaughter while they were in a bubble. After a year stripped of our usual experiences, fond memories like this and the smaller moments during the lockdown have become much more precious.

So, what can we take away from this year? What is the first thing you want to do?

Understanding what makes you happy

Whilst we have less distraction, we have time to reflect. Ask yourself what is it that you want to see and do in your life. Making a note of what comes to mind will tell you a lot about what is most important to you and perhaps prompt you to revisit your vision and goals.

We have a feeling that seeing family and friends will be at the top of most lists. But beyond that, what experiences have you missed this year? Is it your annual holiday, or a drink at your local?

We’ve already explored wellness and how you can go about achieving it. Now let’s touch on happiness, a state of being arguably much more subjective. Happiness is ultimately an emotion characterised by feelings of pleasure, contentment and satisfaction. A lot of which we get as a result of our experiences.

In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt,

Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.

Why experiences are so important

Over the past twelve months, we’re sure we’ve all had the same reality check of just how much value our lived experiences add to our satisfaction and happiness in life.

Experiences are essential because they:

• Strengthen bonds
• Create shared memories with the ones we love
• Shape our personalities and identities
• Influence our future decisions
• Add meaning to our day to day lives

With that in mind, what are you most looking forward to post-lockdown?

It might be hard to know where to start, but if you’ve got a spare five minutes, what better way to give yourself a little positivity boost than to make a post-lockdown bucket list?

Lockdown lessons

However, before we jump too far ahead to the future, we wanted to revisit some of the lessons we’ve learned along the way. For this, we’ve passed the mic over to our Managing Director, Rebecca Aldridge, to share her tales, observations and nuggets of wisdom.

What has been the hardest part of lockdown?

Not having the milestones to mark the passing of time. Things to look forward to and look back on. Whether that’s as simple as going out for a pizza after work, a children’s birthday party or a holiday. It’s made it difficult to tell one day, week and month from the next.

What are the main things you’ve learned?

Practically, I learned to make sourdough bread. I learned how to say ‘no, I’m not doing that today’ on days when it was all just too hard to take in.

What are your lockdown highlights?

• My daughter’s mastered some tricky maths concepts through 1:1 learning, which she’d never have done at school. 
• I’ve seen my children more, and it feels nice having everyone in different corners of the house, not too far away. 
• In the summer of last year, I walked with my children most afternoons in the sun, and we saw so many tadpoles and frogs in various lakes around the area. It was fantastic watching them grow bigger on each visit. 
• We had a good trip to the Isle of Wight in October in our caravan that we booked last minute because our overseas trip, to see family, was cancelled. That was good fun. Even if it was so windy, we were worried we would blow over in our sleep. 
• It was also really nice seeing my brothers and Dad, who live in the South, for an outdoors picnic catch up, with hot chocolates and home-baked treats to enjoy under our umbrellas.

Just answering this question makes me realise I’ve had lots of highlights, and in a normal year, they would be overshadowed by the bigger things.

Lockdown takeaways

Although we aren’t out of the woods yet, it’s nice to think about a brighter future and all the plans we have to look forward to.

Revisit your goals and try to break down how each one will serve you. By getting to the root of why you want what you want, you can create new and perhaps more sustainable routes to get there.

Here are a few of the things we as a team are excited about doing again:

• Travelling – with our passports at the ready and suitcases dusted off, we are excited to see new places again
• Culture – we can’t wait to be in the front row seats at the theatre or strolling around a museum
• Learning – something new, whether it be joining a new class, or visiting a new place and learning about its history
• Sharing – our time with our loved ones and savouring every second of it

Finally, if you want to have fun making some delicious cupcakes, you can find the recipe Rebecca recommended here.

If you would like to know more about goal-setting or financial planning, or if you want to discuss an existing plan, then please get in touch and speak to one of our financial planners.