We talked to AIA Vitality Ambassador Ian Jones on his tips to rise above the feeling of surviving and start thriving.
Goals, routine and balance
- Having a plan, goals and scheduling can drive you out of the rut of just surviving and into thriving mode. It’s about putting even the most basic tasks on a list so you can cross them off and gain that sense of accomplishment. I always say, something is better than nothing, because achieving the smaller challenges can motivate you to tackle the bigger obstacles. So, create the plan, form those goals and schedule in that success.
- By allowing yourself to plan, you are providing yourself with routine and a flexible structure. Routine is very important to me, as routine means consistency and consistency creates results. With a routine, you’ll up your chances of not giving up when the going gets tough. Things are hard for everyone at some point, so it’s important to not give quitting a voice. There are moments where we all feel like quitting is the easier option, but whatever you’re struggling with, persevere and keep to your routine.
- In our house, we like to divide our lives into five buckets: family, friends, work, charity and both mental and physical fitness. The thought process behind this is when all five buckets are balanced, thriving happens naturally. It’s about filling each bucket with the appropriate amount of time and energy. When my buckets are balanced, I feel balanced but if it’s off kilter, I know I’m likely back in surviving mode.
Community, communication and saying “yes”
- As humans, we’re community-driven, we seek support from those around us and for the past three years, that’s been hard with trying times like lockdowns. So now as we try to dust off the aftermath, stay surrounded by your people and be onwards and upwards. It’s about having conversations, asking the person sitting next to you at work why they are there and how’s their family, it’s about knowing more than their name. Know their situation because once you do, you connect so much more.
- Thriving is all about connecting and forming new relationships and a really powerful way to do that is by sharing your goals. When you share your goals, you are not only building a community but also forming a support network, as well as being an inspiration to others. We started Eddie’s Meals back in December 2018 to provide food and friendship to those who needed it. The goal stemmed from the fact that my wife and I wanted to give back to the community but didn’t know how. Since then, Eddie’s meals has grown into a community staple that comes around every month. Like I said, we are community-driven people and it’ll surprise you how many people will want to be a part of the group you form. Whether it’s a run club, book club or knitting club - there’ll be people who want to be a part of it. And I guarantee, the connection will become more important than the running, reading or knitting.
- When you open up to family or your community, you’ll find others have experiences they want to share with you and it’s important to take advice with an open mind. I call this having a “yes” attitude. Say yes to the advice, say yes to the situation and add it to your life, as long as you don’t close your mind straight away, there’s every possibility you’ll find a new way to thrive.
Quick tips to start thriving
Thriving might not be a constant state we find ourselves in, what is constant are the minor bumps along the road of life. Here are a few of my quick tips for a jump start to thriving:
- Go back to the plan - what’s your plan for this week? Or even today? How do I want my day to look?
- Keep that “yes” attitude - life’s always going to be busy, so just say yes and try that new thing.
- If you’ve got time or resources to spare, share it, because when you give, you get so much more back.