my definition of "flow"
"Build your business in flow." This statement, or some version thereof, keeps swirling around in my head and in my newsfeed, but my response to it, is HOW is this even possible?! HOW does one build their business in flow? Work is supposed to be hard, time consuming, and the harder you work, the more results you get, and sometimes it sucks, and really, it might all be taken away or you might not ever really get to where you want to be. Right? Well...
One of the Bible verses I read every morning is Proverbs 21:5, "Steady plodding brings prosperity." In another translation, it can also be read as, "The plans of the diligent lead to profit." The first time I read the definitions of the words "plodding" and "diligent", I focused more on the heaviness of it. The trudging, laborious, monotonous part of the definitions. Yesterday, as I was rereading the definitions, I noticed a pattern - a flow, if you will, of how these words jumped out and spoke to me.
Plodding: to work with constant and monotonous perseverance.
Diligent: constant in effort to accomplish something; attentive and persistent in doing anything. Done or pursued with persevering attention.
So even in the definition of these words... there's a rhythm of accomplishment in a task.
I took a nice walk on the beach on Monday, which got me thinking about waves - waves, they have a definite flow. I studied them in college and took an entire class on the math behind them (it's actually really interesting and was one of my favorite classes because the math was beautiful to me)... so yes, they flow. But they also have a force. A constant, persistent force and momentum and energy. Over time, waves cause shorelines to change and rocks to morph shapes, but it doesn't happen all at once. I was listening to this podcast yesterday, and Simon Sinek said something loosely quoted, "Consistency vs intensity - you can't go to the gym for 9 hours and be in shape. But you can work out for 20 minutes a day and get in shape - and when? You don't really know. But it happens." Same thing with these waves. It takes more than 20 minutes to shape a shoreline, but over time, it happens.
Or even yoga... yoga instructors call it a "yoga flow" but to those of us who have done yoga before, know that at times it can be difficult! If we keep showing up for ourselves, remaining consistent, that pose that used to be too difficult now is part of our practice. It's learning to get comfortable in the uncomfortable. All of a sudden, we're in flow. We've broken through barriers, mentally, physically, emotionally... and we've become a better version of ourselves over time.
So my definition of this "flow" in business? Flow requires some sort of force to get it started, and momentum to keep it going... but after digging in and praying about it, flow sounds do-able. I am capable of concentrating on exactly what parts of this essential oils business truly light me up... use my strengths... and get into the flow. My flow. The flow that lights me up to keep showing up, for myself, for my family, for the incredible driven people I have the pleasure of working with. But flow without some sort of effort behind it? I'm pretty sure all good things happen when you take action - and an object at rest stays at rest without some sort of force to make it start moving. So I'll take both... flow requires action, action requires belief, belief requires work within myself.
What lights you up about your business? I'd love to hear!!
