Dear LPG, 

I have a question for all those readers who still find themselves in a bit of a motivational rut at the moment.  What I mean is that at times, especially after what we have all been through over the past few years, I think that far too many of us older people have come to a bit of a sticking point. 

All those things that used to completely consume our lives, our routines and goals took a serious knock during the pandemic, and for many of us getting that momentum back is proving really hard.    The one thing that humankind does really easily is adapt and adapting to being lazy was forced on so many of us during lockdown. 

All that time we had to sit and contemplate our lives left so many of us asking the question, ‘What’s the point?’

Well that all officially finished over a year ago but getting back to normal was always going to take a lot of time to achieve for some of us.

There are no two ways about it, lockdown has left us in a rut and after a whole year it is time we thought about how to get out of it.  So many of the things that were important to us have lost meaning for many and perhaps the answer is to find a new goal or objective 

If nothing comes to mind when trying to find a new focus point, I would like to suggest that it would be a good idea to get back to something that you used to do as a pastime before it all started, and if nothing comes to mind when you try to cast your mind back to that era, go back even further to those things that so many hours at work got in the way of all those decades ago.

If you can’t take part in your favourite sport, become a spectator, or perhaps the theatre was your passion, in which case finding a society of players might be something which will inspire. Why not get back to playing an instrument that you have not made a sound with for ages or find a choir that will appreciate your vocal talents.  Allow your musical ear to appreciate that genre of music that used to inspire you or get back to pursuing a craft which leaves you having produced something unique which you can give away.  Although now mass produced, the results of your own attempts at sewing, knitting, woodwork, pottery, and many other skills which take time and personal effort to produce, even if the results go wrong will have one very special feature when you give them away; you made them.   Reawakening your writing or poetry skills might be just what is needed or capitalising on those modern language lessons that you hated at school by attending a conversational class might be a way forward.  Perhaps rekindling your passion for your favourite school subject after all this time might just be the bit of fire that your mind needs to get going.    Walking might be more difficult, but if you need to do more of it to improve that skill there are many walking groups out there and so many of the activities will become talking points if you just let them.   Get out on a seaside day trip while the weather is still good or take another look at the keys on your computer keyboard. Even a bit of meditation or yoga might make a change from your usual exercise class, although I am not suggesting that you swap one for the other.  

There really are so many activities that we can have a go at no matter which part of England you live in. 

BC, Lewisham

BC offers us a few of the things that we can get out and do in Lewisham and notes that every area has its own hub of things to do…

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