Have you ever been in a “flow state?” It’s that amazing feeling when you’ve completely lost track of time and are hyper focused and energized by what you’re doing. It’s the best feeling ever, right?
There’s a ton of research and science behind the “flow state,” and researchers say it’s exactly how it feels—”where self vanishes, time flies, and all aspects of performance go through the roof.”
Specifically, they call it an “optimal state of consciousness.” Other non-researchers commonly refer to it as a “runners high.”
The state emerges because there’s been a big shift in normal brain function. When you’re in the “flow state” and you become more hyper-focused and lost in what you’re doing, your conscious processing is swapped out for the far more efficient processing of your subconscious.
It’s kind of like you’re acting without thinking—or at least without thinking consciously.
That’s SUCH a good thing, and here’s why:
In 2008 Johns Hopkins neuroscientist Charles Limb found that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain best known for self-monitoring (part of that aforementioned conscious processing), deactivated when the “flow state” is engaged.
Self-monitoring is our voice of doubt, the annoying inner critic that keeps yapping in our brains telling us to play it safe or that we’ll never be good enough. Because flow is a fluid state—where problem solving is nearly automatic and our subconscious mind takes charge—the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex goes quiet, and those hesitations and second guesses are cut off.
Poof! They’re gone. Finally—peace at last!
The result? That zen, liberating feeling we have when we’re in flow.
Our annoying inner critic has been muzzled, we’re acting freely, our creativity is soaring, our risk-taking feels less risky and we feel like we’re surfing on the best wave in the ocean.
It’s fan-freakin-tastic!
So, here’s a big question for you:
How often do you feel that way about your work?
If you’re a business owner, how often do you feel that way about your business?
How often are you feeling aligned with a heightened state of inspiration, attention, and purpose?
How often are you feeling aligned with a heightened state of inspiration, attention, and purpose? Find out about how to increase the frequency here: Click To TweetHopefully you’re screaming “most of the time!” but if you’re not—don’t worry—you can.
At brandiD, we like to call “flow state” or the “optimal state of consciousness” by another name when we talk about business.
We call it “soul work.”
Just like the explanation above, where the brain shifts away from conscious processing and lets the subconscious lead, “soul work” does the same. When you’re doing “soul work,” your soul takes the reigns and your work becomes so much more than a way to pay the bills, it becomes an expression of the deepest part of you.
Well, imagine if you could build your business around “soul work,” so that a flow state happened regularly—and in doing so it helped to attract your ideal client at the same time. What a perfect situation that would be!
It may sound like a pipe dream, but it’s definitely possible. It’s exactly what happened with one of our clients, Jacquie Peros.
Jaquie’s a personal branding strategist, image consultant and career coach with loads of experience and street cred. She’s also extremely business savvy, but there’s one thing she’s done that’s increased her success (and fulfillment) like no other:
She figured out what her “soul work” was, built her brand around it, and then shifted her business to align with her brand.
Instead of building her business around her 20+ years of branding and marketing experience in the tech world (which would be super easy to do!), she instead went digging for her “soul work.”
She knew she had qualities, experiences and values that hit at the very core of who she is—qualities like helping others and leading with compassion—that came out of her childhood experiences with her sister, who was born with cerebral palsy.
She knew that these experiences allowed her to see the world from different perspectives, and helped her develop a keen ability to nurture, empower, and understand others’ needs.
Exhibiting those qualities made her feel in flow, and using them through her business was her “soul work.”
She knew that her highest fulfillment would come when she shifted her business so she could work out of that state of flow more regularly.
So, that’s exactly what Jacquie did.
Jacquie now connects women from underserved areas with tech-focused employment opportunities and fulfilling careers—while helping to nurture and empower their self-confidence in the process.
<< cue fireworks!! >>
Another soul-based business owner is Emiliya Zhivotovskaya, the CEO and founder of The Flourishing Center, which is dedicated to empowering people with tools and training to increase their happiness and well-being.
The Flourishing Center is based on Emiliya’s “soul work”—work that she discovered through a few deeply personal and life-altering events that took place when she was younger.
The first was the sudden loss of her brother, through which she learned about the power of love, compassion, and empathy to help herself and others heal and grieve. Another was the loss of her mother after a battle with ovarian cancer, a process that showed her the deep connection between the mind and the body.
Emiliya says it was these tragedies that created a relentless desire to understand where happiness and the ability to thrive comes from. That’s her “soul work.” She’s now sharing all she’s learned—and continues to learn—through all of the amazing trainings and programs The Flourishing Center offers.
When you build a soul-based business around your core values and most important qualities, it can be a total game-changer.
To experience it, here’s what you need to do:
- Take time to get clarity on your “soul work”—the qualities, interactions, and work that makes your soul come alive.
- Find ways to use your gifts more regularly, either through your offerings or through different aspects of your work and business. Then build your brand and your business around that.
When you do this, it will make a massive difference in the amount of fulfillment you get from your work as well as the impact you’re able to make on others.
You’ll be happier, way down in your soul, and things will start to “flow” like never before. Get ready to ride the wave!
To learn more about Jacquie’s experience with brandiD, check out this brandiD blog post, or visit Jacquie’s website at JMPbranding.com.
To learn more about Emiliya Zhivotoskaya and The Flourishing Center, visit theflourishingcenter.com.