Yeah, it’s my month. Birthday month. I’m turning 41. So what goals does one plan to do on one’s birthday month?

Nothing? Or everything?

The slacker side of me feels like taking a break. But no, I’m too restless for that. There’s still much to do to pivot myself into a post-COVID world. It’s tempting to want to relax, just as semblances of normalcy are returning to Singapore. 

Our hard lockdown officially ended yesterday, but there’s still no major changes except being able to go back to office for work, and visiting grandparents. We’re likely to go 2-3 weeks in phase 1, before shops and restaurants re-open to dining in. I think phase 2 is when the real sense of normalcy returns, because being able to go out, hang out, and dine outside is the most normal thing we city dwellers can do right? I think July will be when things kick back up again.

But coming back to pivoting: Yes, it is tempting to soften into the flow of things and expect the old consultancy gigs that I used to depend on to all start coming back. But I’m not optimistic about them coming back at all. If there’s anything good I got out of COVID, it is this back-against-the-wall opportunity to not look back at the old gigs anymore and look ahead to the indie maker path that I had charted out so far. Moreover, it’s also timely to shakes off the crazy dust of the COVID lockdown, and regroup a bit.

I tend to like to introspect and reflect, or aspire and think ahead on significant milestones of the year. Just like how I like to take Decembers off for introspective retreats, so I think birthday months are great for aspirations and planning ahead; for things to look forward to in a new birth year; for rekindling and reaffirming old dreams; for embracing new ones. And what luck that I get to do this in the middle of the year! 

So, Jason’s June it is. Not to retreat, but to seek new energy and organise myself for this post-COVID new normal. Nothing specific to achieve, but to have a forward plan of action at the end of the month.