According to modern science, the first condition for you to put yourself in an optimal performance state is that your goals are clear. If it were this easy the world would be filled with flow. I mean come on man, how many of you out there don’t know what your aiming at, what you want out of this year, or what you hope to accomplish this quarter? Grappy and I were laughing the other day about what wrestling team doesn’t want to win the national championship? Of course, they all do. What producer doesn’t want to see their book grow and grow rather substantially? The problem with finding flow by starting with goal setting is it’s not a high enough aim. As a team of producers discovered in today’s practice eleven, you gotta go a bit higher.
The first essential for finding and sustaining flow is finding the love. You’ve got to love whatever it is you’re aiming at. It’s that easy and that hard. It is not enough to have clear goals – You’ve got to love them. You’ve got to love something besides becoming a 5mm producer. You see, you can’t control that. And, once you hit it, you won’t have the same energy for going further. It’s not enough to aim at winning a National Championship either. You’ve got to aim higher. You see, flow is found when you fall – fall in love, that is. Today, I reminded a number of individuals, teams, and leaders to dream bigger and think meaningfully not so much materially. Flow starts when you fall in love with the work and focus on what you can control. You don’t become a national champion by just putting in the hours on the mat. You don’t become the president just by having the biggest book. You become the president, in a virtuous system, by loving your work, loving your team, and having a contagious energy for making your team find their love too.
Today, we found some flow with Producers, COO’s, Presidents, EC members, and even some crazies from Central Services. So, tonight as I fly home I’m feeling tired. It’s a good tired. I poured myself out with the aim of making a few folks better. I’m sure I could have done more and could have been better. I gave all I had, flaws and all.
Thomas and I connected. Joesephius caught some. Brian and I got after it and it was good. Joe D told me it was the most meaningful practice yet. Mark and I practically spoke for each other (who knew). Glenn and I found a mutual friend in the strangest of places, in the world of Christian music. Timmyd didn’t make it to his team practice and the team was en fuego without him. FM, baby. Lisa extrapolated her learning to her daughter and her love of music. Sniper and I caught a moment on the elevator. Krits and I were in the same city but only had time to connect on the phone. And, Grover and I talked about heart, his heart. You see, today, I found a lot of flow and I’m flying home tired. It’s good to be tired when you’re tired by your work, not of your work.
Tonight, I’ll sleep well. Finding flow has depleted me but not drained me. Tomorrow, I’ll be ready to get after it again. You see, hard opus you will sustain as you perspire. Hard labor you will disdain as you tire. You choose. Your choices have consequences. Might I suggest you find the love, first. Good…
BUILT TO LEAD 