Mid-career crises are particularly tumultuous.
There is the apprehension of what is to come, along with worrying that you won't have the time, agility, or support to transition into a different industry.
There is also the backwards-gazing of what once was, along with the dying hope that things will go back to the way they were.
And it's very easy to get caught between the two, nostalgia and uncertainty, resulting in a stagnant but sinking situation.
As with getting caught in quicksand, the first thing to do is to calm yourself. The more you struggle, the faster you sink.
The next thing to do is to slowly change your position. For quicksand, it's recommended that you try to get into a supine (facing up) position. In your situation, it may be breaking your silence and exploring options.
Then, finally, try to drift towards a safe spot.
If you have the benefit of supportive people around you, and you likely will if you break your silence, they can help you.
Ask them for for thoughts, ideas, even referrals if they can provide them.
You can face a crisis alone, but that's a choice you make.
You don't have to.
My 8 Predictions for 2020 - As COVID-19 Progresses
There’s been A LOT of news flying around, not all of which are very encouraging. I’d really rather not add to the gloom, but certain things seem inevitable.
So here are my predictions for the rest of the year, 2020:
1) Singapore will have its elections, and the current party will win by a significant margin.
2) Singapore’s total COVID-19 cases will go up to 50,000 - 100,000 before Dec 31, 2020. This will occur due to a second / third surge of cases. I really hope I’m wrong about this one.
3) Air travel in and out of Singapore will be partially re-instated by July, and there will be an initial surge in demand.
4) New initiatives will be put in place, either by MOM or some other body, that elevate the status of freelancers / contract workers and make things easier for them in situations when they need what is typically quite easy for employed workers - e.g. bank loans, credit card signups, etc.
5) Video conferencing will see a sharp drop in demand once workplaces start having their employees back, and people start moving around again. It will, however, still go back up to a level of use that is higher than it ever was before.
6) China will experience a drop in prestige, but will continue to expand and exert its power over and through ASEAN, Near East, and African nations that are currently still friendly with it.
7) Trump will remain President of the USA after 2020.
8) World markets will have a downturn through the 2nd half of the year, though I’m not yet sure if it will ‘properly’ crash. I’ll probably have to update this when I see more signs.
What I Learned from Singapore's General Elections 2015 (Part Three)
Having had a little more time to gather thoughts, information, and opinions, I thought I'd look at another part of the GE puzzle.
One of the driving forces of human behaviour is fear. If you have ever felt angry and worried when you misplaced your phone, you have just experienced behaviour driven by fear - your fear that you have lost your phone.
Some analysts believe that voters were driven to the PAP's side by their fears. For example, their fear of:
1) A freak election result where the opposition parties win many more seats in parliament than they had in GE2011.
On the ground, the opposition parties are generally seen as unproven, untested, and therefore likely to be less competent. There is fear that their sudden increase in government may cause an imbalance, resulting in instability, at least for a short time.
This fear of instability is compounded by the opposition parties themselves suggesting that they don't want to take over the government, preferring to take a "quality control" position. This suggestion indicates to the voters that the opposition parties, noble as their intentions may be, are neither prepared nor confident enough of their leadership of the nation. It is probably safe to say that a seeming lack of confidence is often a deal-breaker in the election of a leader.
Also, if parliament spends more time debating issues than it needs to, actions cannot be taken.
Lack of action will be seen as weakness by the global community - a view that will likely lower investor confidence and lead to a depletion of funds for Singapore's still-strong economy. This will begin a downward spiral that may lead many to financial ruin, the likes of which we may not be able to recover.
Singapore's government must remain strong and action-centred, because these are the traits that investors look for.
2) The looming global crises
Looking away from the local scene, there are numerous indications of currency problems, falling economies, and increasing debts.
As I am not an economist or a financial expert, I am in no position to analyse these things. What I do know is that there is widespread fear of a coming economic collapse, and, in times of uncertainty, voters will naturally gravitate towards the ruling party, which has a track record of leading the people out of past financial crises with below-average damage to the local economy.
Changes in the political landscapes in China, USA, and the Middle East are also getting people jumpy. Again, when things go down, people stick to what they are familiar with.
3) Too much change
People don't like change, especially not drastic ones. Although the opposition parties have clear supporters, many Singaporeans are wary of what they see as populist agendas and cheap publicity. They may worry that, should these ideas be brought to parliament, there may be too much emphasis on them, and other issues may be relegated to the background.
We are creatures of habit and we are often very unwilling to leave our comfort zones.
As long as the ruling party maintains its pool of talent, and uses it wisely, it will take a confident, competent, powerful opposition party just to overcome the inertia of voting against them.
I believe that this will be the last post I will make on the General Elections 2015, unless something else strikes me.
