Latest / The Kathie Owen Perspective Podcast / 134. From Struggle to Success | How Prioritizing Flow Changed Everything
Transcript
- 0:00Kathie Owen: Have you ever been stuck in the relentless grip of stress, feeling like life's throwing one obstacle after another your way?
- 0:09Kathie Owen: I sure know I have.
- 0:12Kathie Owen: In fact, just a week ago, I was dealing with a massive tech meltdown that left me anxious, frustrated, and wondering if I'd ever regain my motivation.
- 0:25Kathie Owen: But here's the thing.
- 0:26Kathie Owen: Life throws curveballs and it's not about avoiding them, but learning how to thrive in their midst.
- 0:33Kathie Owen: Today, I want to share with you how I turn that anxiety into achievement.
- 0:38Kathie Owen: And it all starts with one single word, flow.
- 0:43Kathie Owen: Welcome to Kathie's Coaching Podcast.
- 0:46Kathie Owen: Today, we're going to explore the real and raw journey of making flow a priority.
- 0:52Kathie Owen: Let's dive in.
- 0:54Kathie Owen: Lack of motivation sucks.
- 0:55Kathie Owen: Don't let that be you.
- 0:57Kathie Owen: These words display prominently on my website, encapsulate a universal truth that many of us face.
- 1:05Kathie Owen: At some point in our lives, whether you've been striving to accomplish a personal or professional goals, maintaining motivation can be a real challenge.
- 1:17Kathie Owen: As a certified life coach and certified fitness trainer with over 20 years of experience, I firmly believe that the key to sustaining motivation lies in discovering your flow state.
- 1:31Kathie Owen: Today, we'll explore what flow is and provide you with specific strategies to find it, even on your most stressful of days.
- 1:40Kathie Owen: In the grand tapestry of life, there are moments that stand out as profound turning points.
- 1:46Kathie Owen: Moments that reshape our perspective, redefine our priorities, and inspire us to create a positive change.
- 1:54Kathie Owen: Three years ago, I had the privilege of experiencing such a moment.
- 1:59Kathie Owen: It was a moment that not only changed my life, but also led to the creation of the course, Discover the Power of Flow.
- 2:09Kathie Owen: This remarkable journey was catalyzed by the wise counsel of my friend, mentor, and coach, Joseph Rodrigues.
- 2:17Kathie Owen: I'll have a link to his YouTube channel in the show notes and description below.
- 2:23Kathie Owen: You know, he spoke passionately about the incredible potential that lay in making flow a central aspect of one's life.
- 2:32Kathie Owen: And his words struck a chord deep within me.
- 2:36Kathie Owen: With unwavering determination, I decided to embrace this philosophy.
- 2:41Kathie Owen: And in doing so, I set forth on a transformational path.
- 2:46Kathie Owen: The decision to make flow a priority was more than just a resolution.
- 2:52Kathie Owen: It was a profound commitment to altering the very essence of how I approached each day.
- 2:59Kathie Owen: Little did I know that this commitment would lead to a cascade of life altering events and revelations.
- 3:06Kathie Owen: The most significant outcome of my journey was the birth of the course, Discover the Power of Flow.
- 3:13Kathie Owen: It's a free course and I'll have a link to it in the show notes and description below.
- 3:18Kathie Owen: It was a resource born out of the genuine desire to share the profound benefits of prioritizing flow with others.
- 3:27Kathie Owen: This course is designed to empower individuals to unlock their full potential by harnessing the magic of flow, just as I had done.
- 3:37Kathie Owen: Recently, while preparing this very video, I encountered a roadblock, a reminder that even when we prioritize flow, life's challenges are an integral part of the journey.
- 3:52Kathie Owen: I had just upgraded my mailer light system to the premium version.
- 3:57Kathie Owen: And as with any technological transition, various issues emerge.
- 4:04Kathie Owen: It took me days to work on this project.
- 4:07Kathie Owen: What ensued was not a tale of frustration, but rather a profound perspective shift.
- 4:13Kathie Owen: I came to realize that these challenges were not"wrong" in quotations.
- 4:19Kathie Owen: They were opportunities for growth and learning.
- 4:22Kathie Owen: The anxiety that briefly reared its head during this time and I was like, ah, why is this happening?
- 4:29Kathie Owen: Was a testament to the effectiveness of making flow priority in mitigating stress and anxiety in daily life.
- 4:38Kathie Owen: This experience ultimately led me to create this video and blog post.
- 4:44Kathie Owen: And I wanted to illustrate that making flow a priority is not about avoiding challenges at all, but about navigating through them with grace and resilience.
- 4:55Kathie Owen: It's about recognizing that setbacks and obstacles are not a matter of if they're going to happen, but when they're going to happen in life.
- 5:05Kathie Owen: By making flow a priority, you equip yourself with the tools and the mindset to confront these challenges head on.
- 5:12Kathie Owen: Ensuring that they do not hinder your progress or diminish your motivation.
- 5:18Kathie Owen: So, let's embark on this exploration of a flow as a priority in our lives.
- 5:24Kathie Owen: Remember that it's not merely a destination, but a transformative journey, one that redefines how we approach the ebb and flow of existence.
- 5:35Kathie Owen: It is a journey that brings joy to the process and imbues us with the resilience to overcome challenges as they arise.
- 5:43Kathie Owen: In sharing my experience, my hope is to inspire you to embark on your own journey of prioritizing flow and discover the remarkable power it holds in transforming your life.
- 5:58Kathie Owen: Do you want to embark on a transformative journey?
- 6:01Kathie Owen: Join our course on the power of flow and positive psychology, where we'll guide you on a journey of self discovery and motivation like never before.
- 6:13Kathie Owen: Included in the course are videos and also positive psychology downloads where you can start tracking your journey to finding flow.
- 6:24Kathie Owen: I sure hope to see you there.
- 6:26Kathie Owen: A link will be in the show notes and the description below.
- 6:30Kathie Owen: So what is flow?
- 6:31Kathie Owen: Flow is also known as being in the zone and it is a mental state where an individual is fully immersed in an activity, feeling energized, focused, and experiencing a deep sense of enjoyment.
- 6:46Kathie Owen: In fact, I'm in flow right now in creating this video and working on this right now, which gives me great relief after my Mailer Lite episode.
- 6:57Kathie Owen: But in this state, time seems to fly by and your performance reaches its peak.
- 7:03Kathie Owen: It's a powerful and motivating experience and my belief is it's the most effective way to harness and maintain motivation.
- 7:15Kathie Owen: Remember, my website says lack of motivation sucks.
- 7:19Kathie Owen: Don't let that be you.
- 7:21Kathie Owen: So how does one find flow in their daily lives?
- 7:24Kathie Owen: Well, I'm going to give you some steps that I've taken and things that I've studied along the way that help you find flow in your daily life.
- 7:32Kathie Owen: Number one is to set clear goals.
- 7:35Kathie Owen: And I say this all the time on this channel, but when you set clear goals, it's important to be clear and specific about what you want.
- 7:46Kathie Owen: And when you know what you're working towards, it becomes easier to channel your energy and motivation into the task at hand.
- 7:54Kathie Owen: Number two, find your passion.
- 7:57Kathie Owen: Engage in activities that genuinely interest you and excite you.
- 8:02Kathie Owen: When you're passionate about something, it's easier to enter a flow state.
- 8:06Kathie Owen: Explore your hobbies, your interests, and your talents to identify what truly sparks your enthusiasm.
- 8:14Kathie Owen: When you find your passion, it helps you apply finding flow to stressful times as well.
- 8:22Kathie Owen: Because you'll know what it feels like.
- 8:25Kathie Owen: Number three, eliminate distractions.
- 8:28Kathie Owen: Flow requires deep focus So minimize distractions as much as possible.
- 8:32Kathie Owen: Turn off notifications.
- 8:34Kathie Owen: Create a clutter free workplace.
- 8:37Kathie Owen: And allow dedicated time for focused work or activities.
- 8:42Kathie Owen: Number four, challenge yourself.
- 8:44Kathie Owen: Flow tends to incur where...
- 8:47Kathie Owen: The challenge level matches your skill level.
- 8:50Kathie Owen: So when I was working on my MailerLite and getting frustrated, I always say this.
- 8:55Kathie Owen: I know enough about tech to be dangerous, but I was getting to a point where it's almost out of my challenge level.
- 9:05Kathie Owen: My skill level was.
- 9:06Kathie Owen: Almost out of my challenge level.
- 9:09Kathie Owen: And so that's where the frustration started hitting in.
- 9:13Kathie Owen: But I, I took some deep breaths.
- 9:16Kathie Owen: Maybe I stepped away for a little while.
- 9:18Kathie Owen: I told myself things like, this is not going to last forever.
- 9:22Kathie Owen: I'm going to get through this.
- 9:23Kathie Owen: I know I'm probably missing things that are going on right now, but it's.
- 9:28Kathie Owen: Just, I'm just going to stay in the zone.
- 9:31Kathie Owen: And this also helped me push my abilities just beyond my comfort zone.
- 9:37Kathie Owen: This balance challenge can lead to a state of heightened focus and motivation.
- 9:42Kathie Owen: And I did make it through it.
- 9:45Kathie Owen: Number five, set a routine.
- 9:47Kathie Owen: Establish a daily routine that includes time for activities you're passionate about.
- 9:52Kathie Owen: Regular practice can help you enter a flow state more easily over time.
- 9:57Kathie Owen: Remember how I said back in hobbies and things that you're passionate about, this helps.
- 10:03Kathie Owen: I almost like to change the word routine to a ritual.
- 10:07Kathie Owen: So my morning routine has become my morning ritual, which has helped me establish my day in such a way that I enter flow first thing in the morning.
- 10:17Kathie Owen: And so, like I said, it's not if, but when you're going to encounter a situation where you leave flow, it will.
- 10:27Kathie Owen: Help you propel yourself back into the flow state.
- 10:31Kathie Owen: And again, make flow a priority.
- 10:36Kathie Owen: Number six, practice mindfulness.
- 10:38Kathie Owen: Mindfulness meditation can enhance your ability to enter the flow state.
- 10:43Kathie Owen: By being fully present in the moment, you can reduce anxiety and increase your capacity to concentrate.
- 10:51Kathie Owen: So mindfulness can be, you don't have to sit in a Zen position and meditate and breathe and deep, although those things help, but if you haven't practiced that before, it's likely to hit.
- 11:04Kathie Owen: a level of anxiety or frustration, which will take you out of flow state.
- 11:10Kathie Owen: But you can practice mindfulness in the present moment.
- 11:14Kathie Owen: Just become aware of your breathing, taking deep breaths, and becoming mindful of your environment and being present in the moment.
- 11:23Kathie Owen: And this comes back to setting your routine or your ritual.
- 11:27Kathie Owen: And that can include mindfulness in your morning routine and things like that.
- 11:34Kathie Owen: Number seven.
- 11:35Kathie Owen: I love this one.
- 11:36Kathie Owen: Embrace stress as a trigger.
- 11:39Kathie Owen: While stress can be a motivation killer, it can also serve as a catalyst for entering a flow state.
- 11:48Kathie Owen: Use stress as a signal to challenge your energy into projective tasks.
- 11:54Kathie Owen: Acknowledge your stress, reframe it as a challenge, and focus on the solutions.
- 11:59Kathie Owen: Just like I did with my tech challenge, I acknowledged that I was stressed.
- 12:04Kathie Owen: I was frustrated, but I reframed the situation by saying, Okay, this is a challenge, I'm going to get through it.
- 12:12Kathie Owen: And, and push forward.
- 12:14Kathie Owen: And then I focused on the solutions, which was, you know, okay.
- 12:18Kathie Owen: I was thinking of my content for the week, which I was getting behind on.
- 12:23Kathie Owen: And I came up with this episode right here because I had.
- 12:27Kathie Owen: I left the flow state or I hit a trigger, let's say that, let's say I hit a trigger and I use that as a point to acknowledge my stress, to reframe the situation and then focus on solutions and that's where this episode came from.
- 12:47Kathie Owen: Number eight, take breaks and I acknowledged this a moment ago.
- 12:51Kathie Owen: Paradoxically, taking short breaks during intense work can help you find flow.
- 12:57Kathie Owen: Obviously, that happened, but you can use techniques like the Pomodoro Technique, which involves 25 minute focus work sessions, followed by a 5 minute break, and these breaks allow your mind to recharge and can lead to more productive flow state.
- 13:15Kathie Owen: One of my favorite breaks to take is to take a walk out in nature, because when you do that, you take your mind off of everything that's going on.
- 13:25Kathie Owen: You become mindful of the present moment and it brings you back into flow state, which when you enter the task again, especially if it's a frustrating technological stressor like mine was, you find flow.
- 13:39Kathie Owen: So number nine, reflect and learn after experiencing flow, take the time to reflect on what helped you enter that state, recognize your triggers and patterns will allow you to replicate the experience in the future.
- 13:53Kathie Owen: I alluded to this earlier as well.
- 13:56Kathie Owen: When you find something you're passionate about, you can.
- 13:59Kathie Owen: Reflect on that moment when you had flow, realize what it felt like and recognize your triggers and patterns and it will help you replicate the experience in the future by taking breaks and understanding the trigger.
- 14:16Kathie Owen: And number 10, seek feedback and support.
- 14:19Kathie Owen: Share your goals and progress with friends, family, or a coach.
- 14:23Kathie Owen: I can't tell you how many times I have done this with my coaching clients, because what happens is I help them see where they found flow, where they had stress and how to reframe the situation.
- 14:38Kathie Owen: So having a support system can provide motivation and encouragement and helping you stay in or find your flow state.
- 14:48Kathie Owen: In your quest for motivation remember that finding flow state can be the ultimate solution.
- 14:54Kathie Owen: I truly believe that.
- 14:55Kathie Owen: By applying these specific strategies to your daily life, you can increase your chances of experiencing flow and even during your most stressful days.
- 15:07Kathie Owen: As a certified life coach and certified fitness trainer with two decades of experience, I've witnessed countless individuals transform their lives by embracing the power of flow.
- 15:19Kathie Owen: It's not just about achieving your goals.
- 15:21Kathie Owen: It's about enjoying the journey and staying motivated every step of the way.
- 15:27Kathie Owen: If you're ready to dive deeper into this transformative concept, I invite you to check out my free course on finding flow, which serves as your guide to.
- 15:36Kathie Owen: Unlocking the full potential of your motivation.
- 15:39Kathie Owen: Don't let a lack of motivation hold you back.
- 15:43Kathie Owen: Embrace the flow and watch your life transform.
- 15:49Kathie Owen: All right.
- 15:49Kathie Owen: That's my episode for today.
- 15:51Kathie Owen: I trust that you found it helpful.
- 15:53Kathie Owen: If you know someone who can benefit from this, please share it with them.
- 15:57Kathie Owen: And until next time, I will see you next time.
- 16:00Kathie Owen: Peace out and Namaste.