Interview with Jonny of The Life Thing

This week I’m interviewing Jonny from thelifething. I’ve known Jonny thanks to his awesome blog where he shares hist travel story and success secrets.

Oscar: Hey Jonny, thanks for giving me the opportunity to interview you. Can you talk a bit about you and your current lifestyle?

Jonny: I am a Failed Designer, Unpublished Writer and comprehensively Unknown Entrepreneur who tends to take out of focus photos.

That being said I am also 24, retired and live like a king in some of the most beautiful places in the world, so you know, pros and cons.

Designer by degree, writer by coincidence, entrepreneur by failure and photographer by passion I travel the world because I can and because it is such an incredible place – that and my home country of England is currently in a massive battle with the weather, one that it is most definitely losing on a near daily basis.

I won’t bore you with writing about my lifestyle, it is easier to just show you, In my life this is:

What Three Months Look Like
A Day Looks like
My Office Looks Like

Oscar: How did you develop such a lifestyle?

Jonny: Very much like I discovered Pop Tarts. I first got BORED of what I had, then I SAW an alternative, then I IMAGINED tasting the alternative, then I PLANNED how to get hold of the alternative, then I EXECUTED my plans.

BORED of Cornflakes, SAW a pop tart commercial, IMAGINED eating that delicious strawberry sugary goodness, PLANNED my assault on the supermarket, EXECUTED my plans and got hot, burning but delicious strawberry filling all over my face.

Well this is slightly simplified as you may have guessed, I explain it in more detail in this post but fundamentally this is what I did.

Oscar: Can you offer some advices to those who wants to do develop a lifestyle similar to your?

Jonny: Heres a question for you. Do you really want it or do you just think it would be nice to have?

I am serious. This is the most important question you have to ask yourself. If you REALLY want it you have to be willing to actually make the sacrifices and actually take the risks in order to achieve it and trust me, there are BIG sacrifices and BIG risks.

Are you REALLY willing to give up the good to go for the great. Most people, when it comes down to it, aren’t. Most people would rather stick to whats safe, known and satisfactory then go for what is risky, unknown and in my opinion, awesome. Both options are fine ways to live your life but if you want the latter then you have to be honest with yourself about whether it is a real “Heart” want of just your “Head” thinking how great it would be.

If you are serious about it then read my blog, it explains everything, sort of, well its a good place to start in any respect.

Oscar: Who are/were your mentors? What books/tapes changed your life?

Jonny: My mentors are anyone from whom I can learn – my family, friends, business partners, celebrities, Richard Brandson, and even the local homeless guy have all been my mentors at one time or another. I read a lot of books so I won’t make a great list of must reads but the one book that really changed my life, and it pains me to say this as Tim Ferris really doesn’t need any more publicity, but the book that changed my life was the “Four Hour Workweek”, if your are serious about living a radically different lifestyle then you would be foolish not to read this.

Oscar: Where are you going to live next?

Jonny: Having just got back from 3 months in Bangkok, I am currently spending New Year under snow in Kansas City for a few weeks before returning to England to close out some business and get wet before heading off to live in and travel India for three months from the end of January.

Oscar: Thanks Jonny for the interview. I wish you all the best for your next trip!

Posted on January 21 2010

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