From Survival to Thrival: Making 2025 Your Year
The finish line at the Wellington Marathon
2024 has been a whirlwind for many of us, marked by challenges and transitions. As we approach 2025, I've heard so many people say things like: "We just need to survive till '25". But I want to challenge that mindset—why settle for survival when we can thrive?
We're in an age where we've become accustomed to success being about materialistic gain or having a certain look or achieving whatever it is that our most popular influencers are promoting. If this is your idea of thriving and you're convinced you're going to achieve that form of success, then a) good luck to you, and b) do yourself a favour, save yourself some time and stop reading this article. However, if you've been chasing these things but have never felt fulfilled regardless of endless "achievements", then you're going to want to read on.
Thriving doesn’t mean perfection nor does it mean endless success. Thriving isn't tied to the accumulation of things nor is it correlated with your popularity on social media. Thriving means living in alignment with your values, embracing your potential, and finding joy in growth. Thriving is about you being the best you in all conditions. And it starts with one key step: understanding what’s holding you back from living authentically.
So What Stops Us from Thriving?
Reflecting on the COM-B model (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation), common blockers to behavioural change often include:
Lack of Capability: Not having the tools, skills, or knowledge to move forward.
Limited Opportunity: External barriers like time, resources, or unsupportive environments.
Fleeting Motivation: Struggling to connect daily actions to your deeper "why."
In my coaching practice, I’ve seen how addressing these blockers helps clients create lasting change. Thriving doesn’t just happen by accident; it’s a deliberate and intentional journey of aligning your strengths, seizing opportunities, and building a foundation for sustained growth.
Your Thrive in '25 plan
To kickstart your journey, take a moment to reflect:
Capability Check: What skills or resources do you need to reach your goals?
Opportunity Audit: What’s holding you back in your environment?
Motivation Map: Why does thriving matter to you, and how can you anchor that purpose daily?
These questions form the foundation of your "Thrival Plan."
Personal reflection
When I decided to run my first marathon, I was in my mid-thirties, not at my peak physical fitness level and hadn't run further than roughly 10km in my life. Knowing now of the COM-B model, my progress from ground zero to running three marathons in the space of a couple of years was not an accident. It's because I had all three aspects covered:
Capability: I researched proven training programs that suited someone with my age, lifestyle and available capacity. Using that information, I develop a customised weekly training and nutrition regime which built up my ability to run longer and longer distances in a safe manner. Alongside the physical capability plan, I also had a spiritual capability plan which went a long way to develop my "faith muscle".
Opportunity: I adapted my training to fit into my work, family and community commitments and not only told others of my goal, I entrusted a select few to keep me honest.
Motivation Map: I had recently undergone a significant personal challenge which left me with serious doubts about my self-worth in many aspects of my life. I needed to prove to myself that I was a capable human being who could set themselves a goal and set out to achieve it.
Successful finisher at the Rotorua marathon
And dang it did I achieve it! I do not remember the last 10kms of the course (marathon runners affectionately refer to this state as 'the wall') and I realised, in that stretch, the reward of the work on my faith muscle. The scream of joy as I raised my hands to the sky crossing that finish line for the first time is forever etched in my memory.
Ready to Turn Goals into Action?
Join me at one of our upcoming Thrive in '25 webinars where we'll help you go from intention to transformation. Using proven frameworks like the COM-B model and our Becoming Unapologetically You process, you’ll uncover practical strategies to align your goals, values, and daily actions.
Start thriving! Join us to create a personalised plan for 2025, grounded in authenticity and purpose.
👉 Reserve Your Spot Now - places are limited
