Helping overwhelmed creatives, innovators, and leaders turn overthinking into expert thinking…and action! Three useful things every Thursday to gain clarity, get more done, and feel great about it.
The zone is a trap
Published 2 months ago • 2 min read
What are you drawn to?
Moths drawn to the light. Photo by tedgun from Getty Images.
This week I've been thinking about being in the zone. Here are three things on that theme to help turn overthinking into expert thinking:
“It’s also where your family, friends, and organization want you to stay. You’re reliable there, and you provide a steady supply of all the things that family, friends, and organizations thrive on. The problem is that a deep, sacred part of you will wither and die if you stay inside your Zone of Excellence” ― Gay Hendricks, author of The Big Leap
Ask yourself these questions to discover your flow strategy (video at end is worth the watch). Bonus link from Stanford Business: “The magic combination to flow is starting out highly uncertain, then reducing that uncertainty predictably through your actions so that you’re constantly satisfying your curiosity about what the future holds.” — David Melnikoff on the magic combo for getting into the zone
I find it so liberating, this idea of choosing not to work from your Zone of Excellence. To discover that it’s actually a distraction from aiming for better, more fulfilling work, e.g. being in the Zone of Genius.
It reminds me of taking the Strengths Profile survey and seeing which abilities fall into the Learned Behaviours category — things I’m good at, but I don’t love (and they drain my energy). “Let’s get Kim to present the slides, she’s a natural!” [cue the withering and the dying] These insights give me permission to say no. So I can say yes to everything else I truly want to.
“Have I truly explored the reality of doing this? I need someone to go beyond the pros and cons and really help me decide and commit.”
Want to make sense of something? The Sense Check is a 45-minute call with my 3-in-1 support, all focused on moving you forward with whatever the current challenge is.
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Hello! My name is Kim Witten and I’ve spent four decades overthinking absolutely everything. I’ve turned this ability into a super skill to get stuff done and now my mission is to help others do the same. Read more about my journey
Helping overwhelmed creatives, innovators, and leaders turn overthinking into expert thinking…and action! Three useful things every Thursday to gain clarity, get more done, and feel great about it.
