What is a robust lifestyle design?

A robust lifestyle design is fluid, adapting to what is going on in your life at a particular time; reflecting the ways in which you’re growing and changing within as you move through the external world. It is expansive, with room for all the parts of your character to be expressed; allowing for the complexity of being human. A robust lifestyle design is like a well-designed building that sits within its environment harmoniously; built on a solid foundation.

That foundation is your resilience and it starts with what is inside of you.

The foundations of a robust lifestyle design:

The foundational elements are rooted in Positive Psychology, Emotional Intelligence and Creativity and Flow theory. They demand that we know ourselves on a deep level. What are our highest values? What are our core character strengths? Our we extraverts or introverts or a bit of both depending on the circumstances? What stuff from our past triggers upset and impedes our ability to motivate ourselves and self regulate and interact effectively with others? These elements provide us with information we use to design our life from the inside out; they help us to define our purpose and the impact we want to make on the world. Most importantly, they help us create a solid foundation upon which to build a life that supports us to optimise our talents and enhance our experience of life.

Positive Psychology

Positive Psychology theory is about the factors that enrich our lives and make it meaningful. It is about human flourishing and is associated with well-being. The Positive Psychology movement defines well-being as the presence of positive emotion, positive relationships, engagement (flow), meaning and positive accomplishment. These are the factors which contribute to human flourishing.

Emotional Intelligence

The factors that contribute to human effectiveness. The pillars are self awareness, self management, social awareness and relationship management. Emotional Intelligence relates to how effective we are at navigating our way in society.

Creativity & Flow theory

The factors that contribute to our creative capacity and accessing flow state; the state of complete absorption in a task when your strengths are aligned with a challenge. Based on the work of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, into the psychology of discovery and invention and engagement with everyday life. Our creativity relates to our ability to solve problems, stay open to new possibilities and hold on to our curiosity and sense of playfulness as we move away from childhood.

The well-being facilitators

These relate to our cognitive, physical and emotional processes; how we move through the world. They augment the above factors.

How we answer the questions below is intrinsic to how resilient we are to life’s challenges.

How do we think about ourselves? How does our attitude and approach to life serve us to be at our best? How do we manage our emotions? Do they swing from one extreme state to another?

How do we look after our bodies?

Understanding the factors that contribute to how we move through the world helps us to enhance our well-being and be the best that we can be.