What If The Plateau Lasts Nine Months?

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That Plateau Feeling
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That Plateau Feeling?

I blogged about it: That Plateau Feeling. But have we really hit the plateau phase? Or are we still in the bungee jump phase? It is possible for the financial markets to hit the plateau phase, and for the job markets to still be in the bungee jump phase. Usually the financial sector recovers first.

Budget

Cut expenses mercilessly. This is for personal and family budgets.

Work

Even if it is a much lower paying job. Can't eat into savings too much, and not forever.

Reinvent

We live in a day and age when people will have several careers, not jobs but careers, over a lifetime. Reinvent yourself.

Focus On Personal Growth: Prepare For Takeoff

There is the bungee jump phase. That, by definition, can not last forever even if it lasts longer than anticipated. Then there in the plateau phase. Then there is the takeoff phase. The plateau phase is the time to prepare for the takeoff phase.

The Best Things In Life Are Free



Really. Life slowing down is not all bad news. In many ways it is good news. A slower life is time to discover people, relationships, hobbies. It is time to catch up on books you always wanted to read. It is time to hone on skills that you think you will need once it is time to takeoff.

This perhaps is good time to smell the roses.

That 90-10 Rule

If 10% of the people are unemployed, 90% are still working. But then there are pockets of 22% unemployment rates. And that is not even taking into account the chronic unemployment in the inner cities, and other underserved areas. That is not taking into account the permanent poverty in much of the world.

That Plateau Feeling?

What if America and the world hit a new plateau of lower paying jobs across the board? That would not be a happy plateau. Personally I don't think that is where we are headed. But then I am counting on the political leadership to deliver. (30 Points Down In The Polls) The financial markets will be regulated, and made sane. This economy will be restructured.

Time To Make Big Fortunes

The most trailblazing of companies have been founded in the most depressing of times. This time that is going to be extra true.

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'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'
'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.
'I don't much care where --' said Alice.
'Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.
'--so long as I get somewhere,' Alice added as an explanation.

Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

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That Plateau Feeling

(Krugman, December 2007)

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There was the original bailout before America even had elections. Then there was the jumbo stimulus package. And then the G20 summit where the world leaders took substantive action. Next thing you know good news started trickling out of Wall Street. It is not exactly time to throw a party yet. There is no boom feeling. But I have a feeling the big crisis that has been blowing hot and cold for the past eight months might have plateaued.

The good news is the steep fall part of the bungee jump might be over. The bad news is there is no telling how long the plateau might last. The worse news is we are not in the upswing phase yet. And you still hear the sound of glass being broken.

The US economy, and the global economy are such big monsters, it is hard for any government to steer them in any direction at any speed. It is kind of like trying to give a 180 degree turn to the Titanic.



For the past decade we have talked of global warming, and we have talked of global terror. But we were not exactly talking global finance. Imagine twice as many hurricanes any given year. Imagine 10 dirty bombs in the 10 big cities of the world on the same day. Those would be the climate and terror versions of what we have been going through in finance.

The pain has been very real, and ultimately it is for the political leadership to steer a course. We have to have a healthy, robust debate all along. We have to be creative, inventive. We have to do the sane thing, the right thing. We have to think long term. We are in this together. This is one world, one planet, one globe.

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