How Do You Work? (Force vs Flow)
“How can I force less and flow more?”
This question is central to productivity, fulfillment, peace of mind, and your purpose in life.
Yeah, it’s THAT important.
Here’s how I define force and flow in these contexts.
Force = Action from impatience, stress and the ego-mind.
Flow = Action from patience, ease and soul-alignment.
Hint: If you’re a human, in modern Western society, forcing is probably your default mode for many things. It definitely was for me (and still is in some situations).
Signs of Forcing
How do you know if you’re forcing?
Here are some telltale signs:
Bodily tension (especially the upper back, shoulders, neck, and jaw)
Putting pressure on yourself to perform
Hyper-fixation on time or deadlines
Stress (in all forms)
Overthinking
Overwhelm
Jittery and jerky body language
Frustration or anger
Fear, worry, anxiety, doubt
Impatience and rushing to get things done
Clinging to outcomes instead of focusing on the process
Projecting judgment onto other people or situations
Resisting what you’re doing here and now (and wanting to be doing something else)
If any of these are present, chances are you’re in forcing-mode.
Quick practice:
Go through that list (above) again.
For each item, think of a situation — work or otherwise — where that applied to you.
Think about your associations (emotions, beliefs, self-talk, etc) around that situation.
Like with everything in life, the more aware you are of your patterns of forcing, the more you’ll be able to transcend it and operate from flow.
How to Flow More
Remember, flow is action from patience, ease, and soul-alignment.
So how do you work, create, and live from this state?
Here’s the high-level perspective:
Set clear priorities for yourself and live accordingly.
Align your life more with your soul and your higher purpose.
Pay attention to what lights you up and do more of that.
However, you can’t always just do things you want to do. This is when you really have to be aware and pull out the tools to flow more.
Here are some ways to bring more flow into any activity:
Ground into your body
Breathe consciously and deeply
Focus on the process more than clinging to results
Gamify what your doing (For example: Setting a goal to write 500 words in 20 minutes)
Set clear, healthy boundaries so you don’t build frustration or resentment
Prioritize strongly, do less, and make sure you only focus on the most important things
Slow yourself down (slow is smooth and smooth is fast)
Practice patience
Don’t judge or resist what’s happening here and now
Create focused blocks of time to get things done
Take regular breaks to reset your mind and energy
Learn to enjoy the process instead of clinging to results
Focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t
Remember the deeper reason why you’re doing things
Those are just some ways to help you bring more flow into your life.
See which of those resonates most with you and bring them into your work, creative projects, and daily life.
The Key of Intentionality
The meta-strategy of operating from flow more than forcing is INTENTIONALITY.
If you can be present, self-aware, and intentional with what you do, you’ll naturally flow with whatever you’re doing.
On the other hand, if you’re on auto-pilot, caught up in busyness (instead of prioritizing and being effective), and in reactive-mode, you’ll find yourself forcing everything.
That’s why it’s important to take a step back, create some self-awareness, and be more intentional with what you do.
When you do this, you’ll flow your way into getting more of the right things done, with less effort, while feeling fulfilled and at ease.
That’s a great way to live, right?
Well, that’s possible for you, right now (and always).
Happy flowing!
Much love,
Stephen Parato
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