Juggling less balls in life

We tend to spend more time on the question of figuring out what we want in life but not as much on the things we don’t. These are the things that distract us from figuring out our purpose and finding the work we were meant to do.

As important as it is to know what you want in life, it’s equally if not more important to know what you don’t want. That way you’re juggling fewer balls and can focus on the areas that you’re interested in.

Over the course of a day or week there are times you likely have experienced being in flow. Being in a state of flow is when we are totally engaged in the activity we are doing. Our skill level meets the challenge presented and we lose track of time. It’s almost as if time is standing still. We feel at ease and don’t want the activity we’re doing to end. A flow state can be physical or mental. It can be hard to describe but you’ll know when you’re in a flow state.

If our skill level is greater than the challenge we get bored and if the challenge level is greater than our skill level then we become frustrated. You can probably think of some activities off the top of your head that get you into a state of flow or where you lose track of time because you were totally engaged in the work you were doing.?

Gamers will typically enter a state of flow when they are immersed in a fun and challenging game. Working on a hobby such as painting or a creative activity can also induce a state of flow for some people. For others a flow state may involve interactions with people.?

Just as important as it is to identify our flow states and engagement levels within our day to day activities, it's important to identify those activities that drain us. The things we don’t enjoy doing and wish we could minimize the amount of time spent on them or avoid having to do them altogether.?

When you’re more aware and in tune to what activities or parts of your day or your job bring you in a state of flow and what parts of your day drain you, you can begin thinking about how you can spend more time doing the things you enjoy. Maybe you really enjoy working on complex technical problems but don’t enjoy dealing with organizational politics. You might look for a role where you just focus on the technical aspects of your job and not managing people. Maybe you start your own design firm. There’s no one right answer. There’s only what’s right for you.

Ask yourself, if you had an entire 24 hours to yourself with no work, personal or family commitments - how would you spend that day? What would you be doing with your time? It’s a simple question but sometimes we’re so busy being busy that we never get that time and space to ourselves to pause and ask ourselves these kinds of questions.?

Now what are those things you definitely would not want to do? Slowly we can start mapping the things we enjoy doing and feel a state of flow into careers that engage us and make us excited to tackle each day.

Coming up soon, I’ll show you a design activity where you can track your levels of flow and engagement in a more visual way. This is the first step to identifying what gets you excited and what drains you.

Thanks for reading and see you again next week.

~V

The Hustler’s Mindset