Jason Gunn: The lessons I’m taking into the new year

I’ve travelled a lot for work this year (maybe a little too much), and while I wake up every day feeling grateful for the many opportunities, I’ve come to learn that more isn’t always better.

I had a heart attack back in 2017, and that little voice in my head still pipes up during busy times, saying, “Mate, we didn’t go through all of that for nothing.” That experience changed my approach to life. So, next year, the goal is simple: I still want to do so much more, but I want to focus my energy on working smarter, not harder.

One way of doing that is by growing my business online to reach a wider pool of people, while also giving me the flexibility to spend more at home.

Another way to approach this is by being intentional with what I say ‘yes’ to. I’ve navigated life as a big ‘yes’ person, and while that has opened many doors, it often left me with little in the tank.

Feeling stressed and overwhelmed is a product of you not taking time for yourself. So I’m slowly getting better at pausing for a moment of reflection before making a decision, and saying ‘no’ to things, both in my professional and personal life. It may mean serving fewer people, but I have more in my cup to help those I say yes to.

As we get older, the days can seem long, but the weeks and the months just seem to get shorter. It makes me ask myself, “Where has the time gone?”

This year has taught me a lot about time, love and the importance of being intentional. After all these years, my wife Janine and I have become empty nesters. This experience of being on our own has shown us we’re still very much in love and enjoy being around each other, which is a really positive thing! We also had the realisation that we’re not getting any younger, so we started to cherish the little moments.

I’m at my very best when I am with my family, and one of my reflections this year has been that I need to be intentional about staying connected with my kids. After all, I didn’t have four children to not be with them!

One of the biggest turning points was realising that connection does not just happen. I saw something the other day that said time spent with your children peaks in the early years of their lives and declines sharply once they’re adults. I want to fight against that.

My kids are my world. They’re all getting older and travelling the world, so I often look for ways to bring my work to them by travelling purposely and taking my work to where they are. That way, I tick the box for travelling for both business and pleasure.

You have to design your life in a way that gives space for time with loved ones. Let’s not let life happen to us; let’s map it out and plan it to make time for those who matter most.

My job allows me to dream big, be flexible and try a variety of new things. No two days are the same, and I’m very lucky to love what I do; not everyone can say that.

I’m incredibly fortunate in the work I do through my company, Easily Said. I teach communication skills to individuals, leaders, teams and organisations of all sizes, including groups like New Zealand Rugby and New Zealand Cricket. It allows me to work with all sorts of amazing people, helping them connect better, gain confidence and learn to tell their own stories in a way that feels true to them.

One of my goals for 2026 is to build on this momentum by coming up with a programme to get into schools to teach children how to speak with confidence. A pattern I’ve noticed is that fears of public speaking in adults often stem from their childhood, especially when participating in school speech competitions! I want to tackle the root cause of these fears by working with children early on.

While you have your health, try to maintain it and take full advantage of it.

There is a saying that I live by: motion equals emotion. You have the power to change the way you think just by changing the way you move. I’m trying to keep my exercise up this year, be it going to the gym or going outside.

Exercise can be quite addictive, and it has a natural flow on effect of wanting to eat healthier too. I’m not perfect, but I’m getting better and enjoying being healthier.

I am not someone who has it all figured out. I am still learning and working out how to do it well. And I want people to come along on that journey with me.

I want to make 2026 the year of kindness, to myself and I encourage you to ask yourself: “What are the two good things you can do in a day – one thing for others and one for yourself?”

When overwhelm creeps in, it is usually a sign that we have not been very kind to ourselves. Often, we are asking more of our own time and energy than we would ever expect from anyone else. That is why it helps to put a few simple practices in place that stop things from getting to that point. As my son, Louis would say, “Let's build in some non-negotiables.”

It might be taking a quiet moment to meditate, going for a walk, dropping one thing off your plate or asking for help when you need it. Small acts of kindness for yourself can make all the difference. 

I visited my mum frequently when she was in a retirement home in the last few weeks of her life, and I noticed that a lot of the residents experienced loneliness as no one came to visit them.

Our elderly are the stars of yesterday. They were our mums and dads, our teachers, doctors and nurses. They have the most amazing stories to tell.

Next year, I want to spread some kindness by visiting these elderly residents more frequently to read to them, hear their stories and to ultimately remind them that their light still shines bright. 

One of the highlights I’ve had this year was tree planting on Waiheke with the AIA Vitality team. They often say that trees are a good way of remembering people who are no longer with us, and there was a beautiful moment when fellow AIA Vitality Ambassador Ian Jones planted a tree in memory of ex-All Black team doctor, the late Dr John ‘Doc’ Mayhew. I went home and planted a few trees in my orchard after that, dedicating each to someone who came before me.

Being an AIA Vitality Ambassador is all about celebrating wellness, and it’s enabled me to think about how I can help myself and help others. I want to cherish the moments I have with my family, teach the young ones and value the old ones through small acts of kindness.

Many years from now, after you've gone, someone will ask your children, “What was it like to have him or her as your parent?”

When my time is up, I want my kids to look back on my life and think, “What a full life he’s lived,” as opposed to “He never got to see this.”  I want them to reminisce on the memories we’ve had, the places we've been to.

We’re writing history as we go, so let’s make sure they’ve got great stories to tell.