Everybody Has A Plan Until They Get Punched in the Mouth

# Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted everyone's plans, leading to widespread adjustment and coping strategies.

# Abstract

The article reflects on the unpredictable nature of life, as exemplified by the COVID-19 pandemic's impact, which has thrown off plans and caused a reevaluation of what it means to adapt. It highlights the diverse ways people have responded to the pandemic's challenges, from resilience to exhaustion, and acknowledges the universal experience of uncertainty and the struggle to plan for the future amidst ongoing disruptions. The author notes that while some have thrived despite the circumstances, most have had to contend with personal and societal upheavals, including economic downturns, increased domestic abuse, and the emotional toll of social isolation and loss.

# Opinions

- The pandemic has served as a metaphorical punch to everyone, disrupting life plans and requiring adaptation.
- There is a divide in how individuals believe society should move forward with some advocating for continued caution and others pushing for a return to pre-pandemic norms.
- The author suggests that living in the moment and focusing on what can be controlled is a practical approach during these uncertain times.
- The pandemic has led to a significant increase in the complexity of daily life, with rising costs, reduced incomes, and changes in social behaviors.
- The article implies that it's normal to feel uncertain and to struggle with envisioning and planning for the future due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19.

And Covid has punched us all in the mouth.

It was reportedly Mike Tyson who originally said that everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. So I’m assuming he was talking literally. But most of us have experienced being punched metaphorically, by Covid, in the last year and a half, so it’s OK if things aren’t going to plan right now.

Some of us are rolling with the punches. Some of us are reeling. Some of us are staying down and playing dead. Some of us finally got up only to get knocked down again. A few of us are doing better than ever. But most of us seem to be either exhausted or in denial. And there are very few who haven’t been affected, either practically, emotionally or financially.

I had plans for the last 18 months. They included international travel, social events, re-connecting with old friends, spending time with family. The travel is cancelled, along with most of the events. Old friends seem to have their heads down in survival mode, much as I do. One family member is no longer with us, due to Covid. Nothing panned out the way I planned.

It’s not just the pandemic of course. It’s what came with it. An economic downturn, a rising cost of living, a reduction in income (for many of us), a decrease in social contact and support (for almost all of us). School went online, domestic abuse escalated, parenting got really hard, we worried about elderly relatives living alone. But most of all we lived with more uncertainty than most of us have previously experienced, for longer than we’ve previously had to.

Uncertain times are challenging, for various reasons. In the midst of uncertainty, everyone develops an opinion, and everyone believes they know exactly what to do next. They don’t, though. Things aren’t that simple. And even those who seem to be in agreement, aren’t really.

I’ve recently heard very different groups of people expressing the opinion that after over a year of dealing with Covid, we “just need to learn to live with it”. It’s just that some of these people mean we have to live life differently, continue to mask up, and socially distance, and get yearly booster jabs. Others mean we have to ignore the virus and carry on as before, losing loved ones to Covid sometimes, as we’ve always lost them to other things, and not complaining about it.

Some people want to roll with the punches. Some people want to avoid them. We’re never going to agree on a strategy in this particular fight.

The one thing most of us can agree on, is that things aren’t going to plan right now. Unless your two-year plan at the end of 2019 was very specific, and didn’t rely on the outside world too much, and could be implemented either in a metaphorical bubble or in a world where a global pandemic was raging. If that’s you, you’re probably right on track. Congrats. But it’s not most of us.

Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. But getting punched is a shock. Especially if you weren’t expecting it. If you’ve been unable to formulate a new plan since being punched by the pandemic, you’re not alone. And if your reaction has been to stay down, at least for now, while things are still so uncertain, that’s OK too.

I’m living in limbo right now. I don’t feel like I have a choice. I’m focusing on what I can control, managing my energy, and trying to do what I can for future me, even though I’m completely unable, most days, to imagine what future me is up to. She’s always been someone who loves to travel, and have adventures. Go to new places, try new things, and meet new people. So right now she’s blurry. I can’t see what she’s doing. Until she comes back into focus, I’m just watching and waiting, and learning how to take a punch.