Finding purpose through flow!
I'm sure you would agree that no one wants to dislike their work. But we all have those days, sitting in front of a monitor or interacting with clients, when we feel stuck. You know, those days when life just doesn’t grab you. We know this isn’t where most people want to be parked! But how can we find happiness, engagement and meaning when we’re “stuck”?
Mark Twain said, “the two most important days of your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why”. We like to think of purpose as our fundamental reason for being. It’s where the heart and soul lie. Not in the how or the what, but in the “why” behind our actions. But how do we find our purpose?
We believe that your core purpose is inspired by flow, aka spending more time in the zone. We all have them — those moments when you are so immersed in what you are doing that hours feel like minutes. Whether you are engaged in a project, playing or listening to music, practicing a sport, being creative, getting deep into conversation, or feeling one with nature. In these moments we’ve found what makes us feel energized, focused and transcendent. We all need to allow ourselves the time to do more of what we love. Remember that flow is the birthplace of your purpose.
That’s why TREEO created Greener Pastures, a unique event filled with guided activities, inspired by mantras and set to a soundtrack selected by participants, to help everyone discover their personal flow!
With TREEO’s Greener Pastures, participants reflect on personal values and organizational culture, to align shared purpose. We define vision and values, clarify what you stand for and share our authentic voice. Recognizing, embracing and practicing flow helps develop self awareness and self management. It answers the question, “Who am I and what can I offer to this world and my work?” When all is said and done, we help participants find individual purpose - that’s when the true magic happens.
You see, the output from Greener Pastures activities that engage participants to find flow in themselves, allow us to invite participants to measure that flow against their peers and ultimately their organization. Here’s how we do it!
Define the language: Purpose reflects the importance we attach to the work we do, giving what we do meaning, and tapping into our idealistic motivations. It’s different for each individual and can often be extremely personal and revealing. As the great philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche professed, “he who has a why can endure any how”.
Explain the science: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the psychologist who coined the term “flow,” describes it as “the feeling of total engagement in an activity so that you don’t notice anything outside of what you’re doing.” Finding flow reduces stress, increases happiness, and improves mental health.
Use flow to explore purpose: Randy Komisar, technology legend and now a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, thinks you should not look for just one passion that puts you in the zone. That search will paralyze you. Instead think of a portfolio of passions and use those passions to guide you. You don’t have to choose just one!
Find flow states: Creating a catalogue of passions can help you identify opportunities to get into the flow. Flow states occur when your mind is so engaged in your activity that it lacks the mental capacity to notice other things. It means you are loving what you are doing, and are completely immersed.
The result? Organizations can achieve real alignment, where strategy, vision and goals reinforce one another, by ensuring the organizational language of purpose is created by the voices of its’ employees.
And if you want to know more about an organization committed to supporting its’ employees in finding their flow, connect with our friends at Creative Options Regina (COR). Here’s what they had to say about TREEO’s Greener Pastures:
(Loved) The energy in the room, the combination of play and thought.
I liked the opportunity to think about what my true purpose is and how it manifests itself into the action I take.
The discussion about flow helped me realize areas where I might be able to tap into my potential.
Want to find flow with TREEO? Drop us a line at heytreeo@gmail.com, and let’s grab coffee.
