You may have heard the term, "get into the flow," which is when things just seem to click, but what is it really?
What is FLOW?
Flow is often described as our state of mind when we are so involved in an enjoyable activity that nothing else seems to matter. A good example is getting involved in a good novel. You block out everything around you and are fully engulfed in the story.
Flow is an enjoyable experience that we tend to "fall into" by accident, but what if we could create flow around every activity in our lives to create a series of enjoyable experiences every single day? What would your life look like? Work wouldn't be boring, tedious tasks would be fulfilling, and dreaded experiences could be, well, enjoyable.
How Can We Create Flow Everyday?
While it seems simple when it "just happens," creating flow takes conscious effort to develop a habit. It is a process of achieving happiness through control over your inner life.
We all have times when we just don’t feel good and wonder, “what the heck is wrong with me?” We come home from work and crash on the couch, or lie awake all night praying to get some sleep, constant headaches, or we sometimes feel like a butterfly net, catching every bug out there. All we want is answers to the big question, “what’s my deal?”
Being an obsessive researcher and skeptic, I’ve learned a very useful skill to figure out just about any problem. This secret skill has given me confidence and freedom.
I’ve had so many friends asking for advice to the point that I could call myself a therapist. I soon realized that this skill is not exactly common, but it should be!
I’m going to teach you my secret in 3 simple steps. You are going to be shocked how super-simple this is and start using this skill on a daily basis.
Step One: What’s your problem?
You may say that you can’t sleep, or you have headaches, you’re overwhelmed, your house is a mess, or something like that. That is NOT your problem. It’s a symptom of your problem. It’s like asking what’s wrong with your car and answering that the engine light is on. Well, a hammer can fix that, but that’s not the problem. The first step is realization that your symptom is an indicator that there IS a problem.
Step Two: Research
All of a sudden, anxiety sets in and flashbacks to school research papers come to mind. No worries, this kind of research is simple, broad and shouldn’t take much time. We are so blessed to have access to so much knowledge with a click of a button. Pull up your favorite browser and type in “reasons for…” then what your symptom is. For example, “reasons for lack of sleep, headaches, overwhelm, lack of organization, etc…” After you click through a handful of articles, you should have a list of root causes of your particular issue. At this point, don’t panic and use Occam’s Razor which states, “the simplest solution tends to be the correct one.” Headache doesn’t always mean you have a brain tumor.
Once you find a handful of causes, weigh these with common sense and find what fits your situation best. For instance, a couple of reasons for headaches could be muscle tension, hormones, or allergies. Do you have tight muscles in your back, do you have other hormonal symptoms, is it around the time of year when allergies are a possibility?
Step Three: Trigger Point
Now that you have a reasonable cause, what is the trigger point? If it’s health-related, drill down to the body system and support that particular body system. If you are dealing with organization or time management, find out what is keeping you from doing these things well. You may even find that you’re not motivated because you aren’t appreciated, or are bored and need a challenge. Once you find the trigger point, a world of possibilities and solutions will present themselves.
After dealing with chronic headaches, I found that one cause was hormones. I had my doctor do tests and voila! my progesterone was low. Since I’ve started taking steps to support my endocrine system and adding a natural progesterone, headaches GONE!
I am passionate about teaching people to be confident in their abilities and taking charge of their lives. You CAN do it, there ARE solutions, you WILL figure it out. Listen to opinions and accept advice, but ultimately, you are in charge of you!
Fear of success has always seemed absolutely ridiculous to me, but after being stuck in the same place for years and finally dealing with it, I can tell you that it’s totally legit.
Our lives rarely change because we become comfortable with our situation.
We might not like it, but it’s comfortable. We know what to expect. We might be unhappy, but we know we can deal with it.
In a nutshell, we don’t like change. We also don’t like the prospect of failing or of standing out.
You might fear success if you:
- Consistently make plans for your life, but fail to follow through on them. Whether it’s to start a business, read a book a month, or hit the gym five days a week, you just can’t seem to make it happen
- You leave projects uncompleted. This includes at work and in your personal life
- You’re all talk. You rarely take action
- You struggle to make decisions
- Your life never changes for the better
- You self-sabotage, especially when you’re nearing success.
This probably describes most of the people you know. Does it describe you accurately?
Use these strategies to defeat your fear of success and make real changes in your life:
1.Imagine being ultra successful.
Imagine yourself being even more successful than you want to be. If your goal is to make $100,000 per year, imagine making $1 million. If you want to lose 25 pounds, imagine getting lean enough that you can see your abs. Do this each night and morning in bed.
- Make the visualization as vivid as possible. Include all of your senses. When it feels uncomfortable, stick with it and just relax.
- In time, it will feel natural. When that happens, achieving your goal will be much easier.
2. Practice standing out.
Many of us fear success because we don’t want to stand out in any way. Somewhere along the way, we learned or decided that it’s better to keep our head down than to be noticed.
- There are a variety of ways you can practice standing out in your everyday life. You can dress differently. You might even put on a pair of pink mittens and walk around the mall in the middle of the summer. Or you could wear your best clothes to the store.
- You could go out in public with your hair disheveled.
- You can do something in public that you’re either really good or really bad at, like bowling.
3. Reframe failure.
Fear of success might actually be a fear of failure. Keep in mind that failure is just an undesired result. It says nothing about you. It simply means that you need more practice, more time, or a better approach. When you can view failure in this manner, there’s nothing to fear.
4. Focus on action over thought.
We can’t fear success if we don’t think. If you need to send 100 cold emails to find clients for your business, just sit down and get busy. The longer you think about it, the harder it becomes. Just decide and take action.
5. Have a real vision for the future.
Enough motivation can overcome any fear. Create a possible future in your mind that is worth overcoming any obstacle. Fear doesn’t matter if you have a very compelling future in mind.
Do you fear success? It seems counter-intuitive to fear success, but it’s a common obstacle to making sustained progress in life. Success brings attention, the unknown, and the possibility of failure.
Create a vision for the future that will pull you through any fears you might have. Learn to deal with discomfort. Remember, you only have one life to live. Avoid allowing fear to limit your life!
Keeping a journal is a great idea for everyone, regardless of age.
There are so many benefits gained from taking a few minutes each day to record your thoughts in a journal.
The costs are minimal and the payback is huge.
A journal is a great idea for you and your children.
Many life coaches require that clients keep journals as part of their success program.
Discover 5 great reasons to keep a journal:
1. Keep a record of your life for yourself.
How many times have you tried to remember when some particular incident in your past actually happened? Was it 1994 or 1995? Do you remember the facts differently from others that were involved? Who’s actually right?
If you keep a journal, you’ll have all the dates and facts right there. More importantly, you’ll be given the opportunity to see how your life has progressed.
As we get older, every day seems to blend into the next. We get up, go to work, go home, eat dinner, watch TV, and repeat for 40 years.
By writing down the day-to-day aspects of your life, your life will become more interesting. Just the act of recording will encourage you to live a life you deem worthy of recording. You might add more fun and adventure to your life, just so you can write about it.
It’s possible you might want to pass your journals on to your children at some point. Wouldn’t you like to read about your parents or grandparents?
2. You can record the lives of your children.
Imagine how great it would be to keep a journal while your child is growing up and then give it to her later in life?
You’ll record everything that happened during the years when they are too young to keep a journal themselves. It will also be a great reminder for you.
3. Journals are great for processing feelings.
Things are always a little clearer when we get them out of our heads and down on paper.
Everything is a little more objective and realistic.
You might be surprised at what you figure out about yourself if you take the time to keep a journal.
4. Work towards your goals with a journal.
A significant part of reaching goals is recording progress and prioritization. By writing about your goals each day, you can continually reaffirm your goals are worth achieving.
How often have you set a goal and then forgotten all about it after a few days or a couple of weeks? If you write it down in a journal, there’s less chance that will happen.
Record the progress you are making towards your goals. Make notes about new ideas to move closer to your goals.
When you achieve a goal, you’ll be able to look back and remember how great it felt to accomplish it. The next goal will be even easier.
5. A journal will reduce the amount of stress in your life.
Journaling forces you to unplug and focus your mind. Sometimes the best thing for a stressed mind is to turn off the computer and sit quietly with your thoughts.
When you record your challenges, your brain starts looking for solutions. Having a solution to a challenge relieves stress!
Consider keeping a journal for yourself and your children. The benefits are considerable, and it doesn’t have to take more than a few minutes per day. When your children are old enough, encourage them to keep journals as well.
Journaling is a great tool that doesn’t cost much at all. A pen and notebook are the only items required.
Check out the journal I created that has skyrocketed my daily productivity!
365 days…TWELVE Habits…2,190 Tasks toward your Goals!
- Proven method to increase productivity
- Time Saver – Takes only MINUTES each day
- 365 Daily Entries – Track Your Entire YEAR!
- Spend Less Time Planning and More Time DOING!
Get ready for the most productive year of your life!
- Time Saver. Most journals these days are essentially scrapbooks and take up valuable time doodling, checking boxes and writing down every single detail of your time. This journal takes only MINUTES each day to fill out, focusing on what’s most important which leaves you more time to get things done!
- Efficiency. This 6×9 book can easily fit in your bag and has enough space for 365 days instead of the average 90 days. Shorter journal entries allows you to focus on the most important highlights of the day, setting you up for success by being consistent.
- Proven Strategies. Success begins with a solid daily routine. By writing down your goals daily, having gratitude, always improving yourself by developing good habits, completing six of the most important tasks each day (Ivy Lee Method) and reflecting on each of these, you are setting yourself up for success!
How to use your Mountain Mover Journal
This journal was created to be quick, simple, intentional and save time. It is designed to keep laser-focus on your goals and maximize your productivity.
Daily Tasks
Each night, list your top six tasks for the next day, prioritizing them by importance. Your goal is to complete all six tasks throughout the day by finishing the first before moving onto the next. This is called the Ivy Lee method, a 100-year-old strategy used by Charles Schwab to skyrocket productivity. If for any reason you don’t finish your list, move what you didn’t complete to the top of the text day and fill in the remaining lines.
30 Day Habits
You can completely change a habit in 30 days if you are consistent. Each day, write what habit you would like to change. It could be that you are working on quitting a bad habit, or working to develop a good habit. Writing it down daily consistently sets your intention. By the end of the year, you will have changed TWELVE Habits!! That’s phenomenal!!
Goals
Write out your next big goal until you achieve it. The process of writing it down will solidify it in your subconscious and you will stay focused on achieving that goal. Once you complete your goal, celebrate, draw some stars and fireworks and start writing your next goal.
Today I am Grateful for…
Gratitude is POWERFUL! Being grateful raises your frequency, starts out the day with positive thoughts and attracts more of the same.
Journaling
On the blank lines, this is YOUR Zone. You may choose to write a quick blurb about your day, write out your daily affirmation, or journal how you feel. Think about what you will want to remember about your journey when you flip back through your pages and reflect on how to improve.
Above all…be consistent, keep focused and have fun!
You’re gonna Move Mountains!
