Buyers and sellers asking themselves, “Where do I go from here” may be as puzzled as the rest of us about what is coming next.

• Scrolling through headlines and feeds for answers can make you very anxious. You don’t gain any depth of insight or inspiration there.

• Marketing intensity can taint decision making. For instance, there’s been a barrage of work-from-home marketing: rural communities hyping their affordability; media and pundits hyping “new trends” like the migration from cities and the end of traditional offices. This and more may prove to be pandemic reactions, not lasting societal change. 

• There’s a lot of hollow talk about “I just want to go back to normal.” That strategy may fail since a lot of “the normal” that was there before the pandemic was not that good to begin with. Beyond that, much of what was desirable has been irreversibly changed or just deleted.

Research and projections from proven and reputable organizations may be useful resources. This input can provide you and your family with fresh perspectives on what may be happening out there and what that could mean for your future.

Is your pre-Covid “normal” all you want from life? 

Why not revise and ramp-up your views of the future? Don’t move backward, but Onward & Upward—the only two directions that I believe are worth taking!

As a starting point, here’s a few inspiration nuggets from my inbox:

What Have You Got To Worry About?

A recent Gallup poll announced “Sharply Fewer in U.S. Cite COVID-19 as Nation's Top Problem."

According to Gallup researchers, Americans feel increasingly optimistic about the Corona Virus Pandemic, because only 8% identified it as “the most important problem in the U.S.” This drop of seven percentage points since May 2021 and 12 points since April marks the lowest ranking since the pandemic began. Gallup reports the highest ever-recorded rate for any issue was the April 2020 ranking of 45% for the pandemic.

Now, “the government” is back in the number one worry spot.

What is distracting you and your family from the many opportunities in life? If you share this Gallup-reported dramatic shift in confidence over the future, perhaps it’s time to review and refresh your goals and dreams.    

Is Quitting On The Road To Improvement?

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in April 2021, the quits—as BLS refers to the number of jobs quit in an entire study month as a percentage of total employment—increased to a level high of 4.0 million representing an increased rate of 2.7 percent.

 The largest increases in quits were in retail and professional and business services. Geographically, quitting increased in the South, Midwest, and West regions.

Before you leap in to follow this quits pattern, consider how easily you’ll replace your current income level or move to a higher one. Where will you live? What employment and retraining programs would you qualify for? Or, will you launch an entrepreneurial venture?

Ready To Go Solo & Join The 17% Of Single Female Homebuyers?

The National Association of Realtors, which continually tracks home buyers, reports that “single female homebuyers have historically been second only to married couples since 1981" and remain “a celebrated force in the home buying market.”

NAR describes the single female buyer as “in the Baby Boomer or Silent Generation age category” with the median age at 54. More than one in five buyers over 55 is a single female buyer.

If you’d like to buy solo at any age or stage, but are intimidated at the prospect of working alone, don’t be shy. Real estate professionals, who often target specific buyer groups like solo buyers, are intent on enriching your homebuying experience. You’ll probably find a committed professional with this expertise where you’d like to buy.

Excited About Increasing Your Purchasing Power?

According to the recent McKinsey Global Institute report entitled, The future of work after COVID-19: “Given the expected concentration of job growth in high-wage occupations and declines in low-wage occupations, the scale and nature of workforce transitions required in the years ahead will be challenging…. Across the eight focus countries [including the US], more than 100 million workers, or 1 in 16, will need to find a different occupation by 2030 in our post-COVID-19 scenario….”

The report states that the pandemic accelerated existing trends in remote work, e-commerce, and automation, with up to 25 percent more workers than previously estimated potentially needing to switch occupations. This is 12 percent more than they estimated before the pandemic and up to 25 percent more in advanced economies. For instance, in the US, 17.1 million job transitions should occur post Covid-19.

Are you prepared to make the changes necessary to participate in this wave of earning improvements? Many will transition out of the two bottom wage brackets. You may find yourself acquiring more advanced skills that could move you one, two, or more wage brackets higher. Is it time to let go of the past and reach out to the future where you’ll enjoy a higher standard of living?

Tip: Learn from experts: “Where the jobs are: An inside look at our new Future of Work research.”

The list of reports and ideas above is just the beginning of an amazing wealth of information available to help you increase your practical knowledge and your future purchasing power.

Following others back to “normal” without thinking beyond the associated hype and false truths, as well as shallow or familiar tweets and posts, may short change you.

Team up with family and friends to sample the rich content and choices available. You’ll find you don’t have to go far to really get turned on by the possibilities and opportunities that exist for your future.