Unlock Your Flow: Commit to Your Zone of Genius
What if building wealth didn’t mean abandoning your purpose? What if instead it meant leaning into your purpose?
Last weekend I decided to go camping for Memorial Day weekend. It was just me and my little pup, Reggie. We had a blast! From exploring the beautiful, forest-covered mountains of the Sequoia National Forest, to being swarmed by butterflies as we walked along a high-flowing creek. I was truly in my element, embracing my natural flow state.
Enjoy a few photos from our trip!
As we sat by the campfire at night, I finished an entire audiobook titled “The Big Leap”, by Gay Hendricks. One of the key ideas portrayed in the book is a concept of four “zones”: the zone of incompetence, the zone of competence, the zone of excellence, and the zone of genius. Many of us live day after day, going back and forth between the first two or three of these zones. However, Hendricks encourages the us to take a “big leap” and commit to living in our zone of genius full time.
Even if your zone of excellence, where you’re doing things you excel at, provides you with a comfortable lifestyle, by its definition, the zone of excellence is not where you truly thrive. Living in your zone of excellence is a form of settling. If instead you choose to live in your zone of genius, you’re opting to go beyond what’s comfortable so you can do what you’re passionate about, what you feel drawn or called to do with your life. This is where true transformation happens. This is where you can leap from above-average to extraordinary. This is where you become the authority of your flow.
This concept intrigued me, as it aligns perfectly with the mission of The Flow Authority. However, if I’m being honest, after just recently reading the book, I’m still not entirely sure what my zone of genius fully entails. Nonetheless, I am committed to figuring it out!
If you’re interested in discovering your zone of genius, here are four questions Hendricks suggests asking yourself:
What do I most love to do, such that I can do it for long periods without getting tired or bored?
What work do I do that doesn't seem like work?
In my work, what produces the highest ratio of abundance and satisfaction to the amount of time spent?
What is my unique ability - my special gift that I’m incredibly good at that’s also helpful to others around me (AKA my superpower)?
If you’re still stuck, he suggests the following:
Write down a general statement: I'm at my best when I'm...
Take that general statement and make it a little more detailed and specific: When I'm at my best, the exact thing I'm doing is…
Now go even deeper: When I'm doing (that specific thing), the thing I love most about it is...
Continue along this path, digging deeper with each statement, and when you start to feel an inner glow of wonder and excitement, you know you’re close!
You might know your unique ability that defines your zone of genius right away, or, like me, you may be a little unsure. Take some time to think about this thoroughly. Talk to your close friends, family, and colleagues - what do they see as your unique ability? Meditate on it, journal on it, write down everything you do daily, and reflect on how you feel when doing those activities. With these questions and some time to meditate and reflect, I’m confident we can discover our zone of genius together!
So what’s the point of all of this? The point is to lean into your purpose by committing to living in your zone of genius! I’m on a quest to discover mine and commit to it for the long haul, and I encourage you to do the same! Hendricks further recommends partnering with a few “co-conspirators” who are jointly committed to living in their zone of genius. If you’re interested in a partnership of this sort, send me a text or an email and let’s connect! You’ll have to read the book in its entirety first so that we’re all on the same page, but having accountability partners is always a great way to hit your goals.
That’s it for today. As always, it’s your life, your canyon, your legacy. You are in control. Let’s flow!