Most people at some point in their lives have been told to “dream big and work hard.” While this is definitely a motivating factor when we’re young, we know as adults that this is really just the first step in a much larger process. Achieving our dreams and reaching our goals requires more than just the beginning of hard work. Rather, it requires total dedication and commitment to our path. This is often referred to as “flow-” the complete transcendence and focus of our consciousness on the task at hand. “Flow” is not merely a process that helps us work hard. More significantly, it helps us become deeply entrenched and passionate about our work, and allows us to devote ourselves entirely to our goals. “Getting into the flow of things” usually includes:
- Feeling excitement for what we involve ourselves in
- Having a creative spirit
- Developing the Grit necessary to push through hard times
- Wanting to share our experiences with others
At the end of the day, we all want to feel satisfied and accomplished with our work. This may not always be an easy task to achieve in the long term, but there are ways to learn and promote qualities within ourselves that allow us to authentically “get into our flow.”
Building on Existing Strengths
Often, it is difficult to stay on track with what we want to achieve even if we genuinely feel passionate about it. Therefore, we must separate the “dream big” mantra from the actualization of our potential. The way we do so is by looking at the positive qualities we already possess and bringing them to the forefront through practice. All people maintain different forms of signature strengths that reflect what they are best. For example, some people may be good at creative thinking. Others may be better at logical deduction. This is not to say that one is better than the other, rather they are different ways of approaching all aspects of life. The key is to capitalize on what strength each of us possesses most naturally by allowing them to permeate into our passions and goals. By allowing signature strengths to influence what we choose to pursue and work hard to accomplish, we ensure that we are specifically involving ourselves in something that appeals to us. Without that inner drive and satisfaction for our goals, we won’t be able to fully focus, zone in, and get into the flow of our work. Only when we truly feel excited and motivated to put in the hours, effort and mental strain that often comes along with long-term achievement seeking do we feel the pull to continue when the going gets rough.
How Do We Bring Our Strengths to the Forefront?
Each person’s journey toward identifying strengths will be different, but there are certain activities we can try to pinpoint what our most natural capabilities are. The easiest way to do this is thinking back to a time in the past where we achieved a “flow like” experience.
- What types of strengths did we use then?
- Did we feel satisfaction and excitement when engaging in that experience?
- Did we feel inspired to repeat that behavior?
After we ask ourselves these questions, we must push forward and pursue activities that build on these strengths. By getting in touch with what empowers us from within, we maximize our ability to find our own personal “flow” and begin the path to success we long to achieve. To learn more visit Long Island Psychology today.
