Last weekend, I was exercising at my health club and I saw a friend. She is a doctor and she asked me, “How are you feeling today, Michael?” I paused, then answered, “What do you mean? Physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially?” She said, “Yeah, I know what you mean.” We both laughed.
My answer might be over the top for some. But, think about it: How often are all the facets of your life in synch? Every once in a while, you have an outstanding day. Right? One in which you’re clicking on all cylinders. Super productive. Happy. Time flies. You’re engaging. You’re succeeding. People sense this aura.
Some call it being in the “flow”, a peak state when your body, mind and spirit align. So, naturally, you want to recreate when you achieve flow. At the heart, it is about doing what you love and seeing the success of your activities. Being happy in your career is critical to your well being. See “9 Steps to Achieving Flow (and Happiness) in Your Work” http://bit.ly/aL2stq
What do you enjoy and what do you love? Define the differences. In my career, I enjoy the challenge of running my own business. I get satisfaction in helping people with their careers. I like to negotiate (believe it or not!) But, I love to train and inspire a group. I love to consult with businesses and give strategic advice. I love to coach my sons’ sports teams. I love to travel and explore new places.
Here are three ways I get into the flow:
– Exercise (relaxation of the body fuels creativity in the mind.) Before every training, you can always find me in the hotel gym.
– Taking action (reaching out to people, collaborating, brainstorming ideas.) If you’ve met me or talked with me, you know I get excited about visioning ideas into results.
– Helping others succeed (creating a plan and getting results). There’s no greater satisfaction to me then helping others achieve their goals. When I find a new job for a person, it is a “triple win” – for the company, the candidate and my firm.
What does flow have to do with attraction? Everything. Have you read the book or seen the movie, “The Secret“? http://bit.ly/9oStjW The universe is wired for attraction. On page 25, the book states:
“The law of attraction says like attracts like, so when you think a thought, you are also attracting like thoughts to you…your current thoughts are creating your future life…your thoughts become things.” Like a new house, a new partner, a new client, a new career.
You might be thinking, “This is really ‘out there’, Mike. Mystical stuff.” I hear you. I’m a realist, too. Here’s an example. This past summer, my business was slow. One week I was thinking hard that we needed new business in the pipeline. That same week, we were engaged on two new searches, three new training gigs and two employment expert cases.
Try it: Positively, think about what you want. Then take action and engage.
Two big take-always:
– Put yourself in positions to do what you love.
– Flow equals happiness and cash flow.