There you were, living your life the best way you knew how. You went to school, got a job, and started to build a life to be proud of. Then the COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm and derailed your goals for about two years. Maybe you had to leave your job and move back in with your parents. Perhaps your school closed and now your five-year plan is up in the air. Maybe you even lost loved ones to the disease during or post pandemic.

Losing so much on something out of your control can have a tremendous effect on your self-esteem. If you want to reenter the world but lack confidence, here are three aspects of your personal life and development that you should focus on to gain an advantage and propel yourself forward.

1. Sharpen Your Style

According to research on the correlation between fashion and confidence, using your style to boost your self-image gives you the poise to conquer the world one business meeting at a time. When you embrace the freedom to express yourself, you’ll feel better, walk taller and stand out among your peers and colleagues as someone who has what it takes to get the job done.

If you’ve spent the last several months wandering your townhouse in loungewear, then you may need a glow-up day to spark your interest and creativity. Put on your best outfit, your favorite shoes, and a new pair of earrings that makes you look and feel like the talented and invaluable asset you are.

2. Revise Your Budget

If lockdowns, layoffs, and low wages have left you financially insecure, you may be feeling tremendous stress and pressure to get back into a normal routine. Until then, though, it’s important to reexamine every penny coming in and going out. To tighten your budget in the coming months:

• Cut unnecessary expenses like subscriptions and streaming service
• Refinance your home to lower its equity and cut down your monthly mortgage bill
• Take odd jobs and part-time work to avoid dipping into your savings

When you analyze your budget, you may find that staying home has helped you save money over the last year, because you haven’t been shopping for office attire, eating out at restaurants, or going to the movies. Putting that extra savings toward your major expenses like rent, utilities and food can help secure your wallet and give you peace of mind until you return to work full-time.

3. Open A Business

If we’ve learned anything from the pandemic, it’s that life is short, time is valuable and people are tired of doing unfulfilling and non-lucrative work. Now can be the perfect time to become your own boss and start a business.

The first step in starting a business is to come up with an idea. What goods or services do you want to sell? Once you have an idea, you need to start developing a business plan. This should include a market analysis, which researches potential customers and competition. You also need to outline your marketing strategy and objectives. The next step is to begin raising capital. This may involve taking out loans or finding investors. Once you have the funds, you can start putting your business plan into action. Finally, it is important to monitor your progress and adjust your plans as needed.

If you remain aware and in control of your mental health, financial well-being, and capacity for learning, then you’ll be able to overcome the pitfalls of the pandemic and walk with pride toward the life you deserve.

Guest Post by – Marty Craig.