You know what you want to do. You may even know exactly how to do it. But for some reason, you just can't seem to generate action like you want to. Sound familiar? If so, you are not alone. Many of us have trouble getting into the flow state and executing on the things we already want to do.
Let me tell you about my own experience. There was a time when I felt like I was stuck in a rut, unable to accomplish even the simplest of tasks. I'd sit down at my desk, ready to work, only to find myself scrolling through social media or aimlessly browsing the web. Frustrated with my lack of productivity, I decided to dig deeper and figure out what was holding me back.
The secret, I discovered, is that the most productive people have learned how to manage their energy, not their time. Time is a finite resource that we can't do anything about. Energy, on the other hand, is something that we can control. And when we learn how to apply our energy strategically, we can get a lot more done than if we're just relying on willpower alone.
In this blog post, we'll explore what it means to apply our energy in the right way and how you can use this secret to become more productive in your own life. But before we dive in, let's take a quick look at what flow state is and why it's so important for productivity.
Flow State
Flow is a mental state where you are fully focused and engaged in what you are doing. Everything else falls away as you become completely absorbed in the task at hand, and everything just seems to click. When you're in flow state, you can achieve anything you set your mind to. I still remember the day when I first experienced this state; it was like a light bulb had been switched on inside me, and I suddenly found myself accomplishing tasks with ease and efficiency.
People who are able to achieve flow state on a regular basis tend to be more productive because they are able to work with greater focus and intention. In other words, they are able to get more done in less time because they are not distracted by their thoughts or outside stimuli.
Productivity
Before we move on to the tools of flow, we need to talk about productivity. Productivity has become negatively connoted with squeezing the most amount of work out of the shortest amount of time— at any cost.
The productivity of Movement Calling is about living out our potential. We want to make things! We are reclaiming productivity as something sustainable, an energy source from within powers us to make our internal desires real.
And the biggest challenge we face when it comes to productivity is Resistance...
Resistance
To create something from nothing, energy has to be applied. Resistance is the energetic barrier to that action. Resistance is normal and it's something we all deal with on a daily basis. It is the decision point where we decide to apply our focus or indulge in a distraction. But if we want to be productive, we have to learn how to overcome it. And one of the best ways to do that is by applying our energy in the right way.
How To Summon The Flow
Prepare for flow by centering yourself. Meditation is an excellent way to improve your mental clarity and focus. When you meditate regularly, you'll notice an increase in your ability to concentrate on tasks and tune out distractions. Centering yourself before taking action clears your energy so that what you decide to do next comes from a place of “uncluttered-ness" and authenticity.
This turns your to-do list into an opportunity for inspired action. Once you are recharged, release all the thought fragments you are holding onto by writing them down on paper. This frees up mental RAM and honors all those thoughts by saving them in a place you will revisit later. I keep tabs in my Bullet Planner to capture and organize topics like work tasks, recommendations, and blog ideas.
Finally, signal to your brain what type of result you are requesting. I swear by brown noise; functional background music designed to generate neural entrainment. I pay for my own subscription of brain.fm, a platform of EEG and FMRI informed brain "channels" that, especially combined with noise-canceling headphones, creates an ideal flow environment.
Now that you are ready to generate action, acknowledge to yourself that you will work through 2...3...4... walls of Resistance. These walls exist because we want perfection, instantly. The solution is to not strive for perfection! Done is better than perfect, so let go of your perfectionist tendencies and just let the work flow out of you. This reminds me of a time when I was working on a particularly challenging project. I kept hitting walls of Resistance, but by embracing imperfection and pushing through, I was able to make significant progress.
When the reward ratio shifts in favor of a distraction, lower the energy barrier by being OK with producing an even more imperfect result. This approach has worked wonders for me in the past, allowing me to complete tasks that would have otherwise been left unfinished.
The formula for success is not to force, but to flow. You were likely taught that Resistance takes Willpower and that it is a personal flaw if you do not have enough of it. You need to know that it is truly more productive to lower the effort of the barrier. When we are rolling over speedbumps instead of tripping over hurdles, distractions naturally become less enticing and action flows more effortlessly.
When we drop the ridiculousness of constant perfection, we can move over the wall and reach the next open road. If you're someone who struggles with productivity, I hope this post has given you some insights into why that might be and what you can do about it. Remember, the secret to becoming more productive isn't about hustling harder or trying to do more—it's about applying your energy in the right way.
If you can learn to overcome resistance and get into the flow state on a regular basis, you'll find that you're able to accomplish far more than you ever thought possible. So go out there and start applying your energy! You got this!
As we wrap up this post, I encourage you to join the conversation and share your own experiences, insights, and strategies for overcoming resistance and achieving flow state. Let's create a supportive and engaged community where we can learn from one another and grow together. Leave a comment below, and let's get the discussion started!
By the way, if you're curious about the Bullet Planner I mentioned earlier, you can find it exclusively on my website at movementcalling.com/bulletplanner. The Bullet Planner is my personally designed productivity tool, perfect for organizing and streamlining your thoughts and tasks. Make sure to check it out and give it a try!
And if you found this post helpful, don't forget to bookmark the blog so you can easily return for more insights and inspiration. Better yet, subscribe to my newsletter to stay updated on the latest posts and exclusive content. Together, let's continue on this journey of productivity, personal growth, and achieving our goals!
In love and lunges,
Lili Byrne