Have a plan to survive FIFO

A former high performance AFL coach has lent his experience to the world of fly-in, fly-out. John Toomey is about to publish a book called 'Mastering the FIFO Lifestyle'. John has form as ‘wellness thought leader’, having been the Richmond football club’s high performance coach during the '90s. He has drawn on a range of philosophies and hard medical approaches to explain why we don’t need to feel so ordinary, so much of the time. We began by asking John exactly what he does. “We live in a time where people put themselves under so much pressure and they use medications to keep themselves going and perhaps don't eat that well. And they forget what it feels like to feel awesome. I suppose a Wellness Thought Leader is somebody who's done the work, who can sort of pick all that apart and help a person or a group of people find their way back to a state where they feel really well. It's a really complex set of factors, I suppose, that can relate everything from your diet, to your sleep, through to your ability to express your creativity, having a sense of purpose, quality of your relationships. FIFO is a big part of the mining industry. It's not going anywhere. It's known to be fraught with difficulties. Generally, what's your advice?I think that the No. 1 thing that people have got to do is have a plan, and it's not just the person going to work, but their family needs a plan too … set some goals in mind and have some discipline around sticking to them. So one of the best things that a young person can do when they first start FIFO is get a really trusted advisor and learn how to set goals and really manage their money and have some discipline over it so they create some stability for themselves. So that then two or three years down the track, if they don't want to do it anymore, well, they're not in a bind where they can move on to something else. John you've written, or you're writing a book called Mastering the FIFO lifestyle. Is it possible to have a complete life and be a FIFO operator?Well, I reckon, and I reckon the secret is about making a decision … Each time they turned up on site and that decision has to be, ‘I'm working now, I'm going to do my work lifestyle and have a plan for how that's going to be.’ And then when they go home, have a very deliberate plan for how they're going to live their life at home. If you're not deciding and being very deliberate, then you're not a stable reference point for the people around you. You're not a stable reference point for your kids. And so it's really important to have that. You've got to create your own structure for yourself as to how your life's going to look. And if you can stick to that, I think you can have a really good life as a FIFO worker, and I certainly know people who do. ‘Mastering the FIFO Lifestyle’ will be available before Christmas. John Toomey is contributing a weekly column to Miner’s Life.

Have a plan to survive FIFO

Industry Queensland

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