The New Normal – Necessary, Essential, Desirable
Corona Virus or Covid 19 has become a part of our lives since the beginning of 2020. 9 months after we were all “locked down”, we have all had an opportunity to introspect and re-look at our lives.
We have made an incredible amount of adjustments to our lives during the lock down. There is hope on the horizon with the high possibility of a vaccine that will actually work. I am sure that most of us are also thinking about how our lives will need to change as we look at our lives once the vaccine has been administered to us.
As we look at our lives in the new normal, post Covid, every product or service will now need to be categorised into Necessary, Essential or Desirable.
Everyone’s definition of necessary, essential and desirable will be different. These will be based on our unique perspectives of the needs of our families.
All of us will have our own prescriptions and our own ways of coping with the challenges that we have already faced but more importantly, are likely to face in the coming few months and years.
Much as people would like to believe that a cure or a vaccine is imminent, it is important to understand that the process of getting a new vaccine is very long. Once the first set of tests have been successful on animals, they need to be tested on human beings. Though some countries have approved the vaccine and India is also likely to approve a vaccine in early 2021, the impact will take time to be studied. If there is any challenge to human safety, most Governments will stop the approvals and wait for “someone else” to take risks with their citizens. Even if the trials on human beings is successful, the time to commercialise a vaccine and make sufficient doses available for the World population is another challenge.
Most of us would have done a lot of introspection in 2020.
We most certainly, would have appreciated the dramatic reduction in air pollution, clear skies, the last “blood moon”, dolphin sightings near Mumbai and the pristine waters of the river Ganga.
Given all the time we have been spending with our family and more importantly with ourselves, we have all had a chance to do a reality check of what is important in our lives. It is unlikely that most of us would have spent so much uninterrupted time with our families for such a long period of time.
We would have learned to give sufficient space to our family members in our homes. We would also have started to appreciate how easy it is for most of us spend time with ourselves.
Most of us would have also learned to do most of our work at home. While it is true that women have had to face the brunt of this lockdown in terms of the work to be done, all of us must have certainly understood what needs to be done at home and in our own ways, we must have started to help.
The economy is picking up and a lot of senior business leaders have indicated that production is almost back to “pre-Covid” levels. Many people may have lost their jobs. Many will see salary cuts. Almost everyone will not get an increment or a bonus.
What are the areas that will see an impact?
While I do hope that we will be able to get back to the pre-Corona days, it is increasingly looking more and more difficult.
Over a period of time Corona will become another kind of ailment. Not very different from cough, cold or influenza. Till all of us build the required immunity, we need to practice social distancing and stay safe.
We have to adjust to the new normal and we have to accept the new reality fast. The time to indulge in wishful thinking is over.
The most common question we will ask ourselves before taking any purchase decision, be it necessary, essential or desirable, will probably be,
“Do I really need this?”
