Rhythm and Flow

Don't worry, even though the title is Rhythm and Flow, I am not going to turn into a white rapper. We all know that would end bad. I'll leave that job to Eminem. But I do want to talk about Rhythm and Flow. It isn't a new topic by any means. I did not have an epiphany. If anything you know as much about it as I do, or the next guy.

I read a book earlier this year (and yes, it wasn't just pictures!) by Daniel Pink called Drive. The book is about what motivates people. It is a fascinating look into why the old carrot and stick method is not good for any hire level job - one that involved thinking. More so people are driven to be better, work harder, and be smarter. You don't have to pay them more, you just, a lot of times, have to get out of their way. If you are interested in human behavior, or management, I suggest reading this book. If you are not, at a minimum, click on the attached link, with a great (and entertainingly done) summary. http://youtu.be/u6XAPnuFjJc

While Daniel Pink called this concept in his book Rhythm or Flow (he used them a bit interchangeable), it is a well known concept. Stella called it her groove, and spent two hours trying to get it back. Austin Powers went on a time traveling search for his mojo. NBA Jams (yea, I just went back to 1992) players 'caught on fire.' There are so many examples, of this essence, this mood, this attitude. Have you ever woken up and just had a bad day? I bet you didn't feel like you had your rhythm and flow.

Which brings us to the question, why am I talking about this? Because, to me, this is a huge factor for success. It is all about finding a comfort in your life. Not living a comfortable life, but finding a comfort. I don't mean having a lot of money, or having a big house. I mean loving what you do. Having comfort in your actions, your being, your purpose.

I have been gainfully unemployed for 2 months now, and spent over half that time sitting back into the classroom. Most days I head to school at 9, am there until 7 or 8, then have more studies and reading to do at home. I am still trying to figure out the path to success in my MBA (not survive, but succeed), and I have a good start. And that is to develop my rhythm and flow. And yes, it can be developed. It can be changed, It is simply a mental state. It is about not only accepting the task in front of you, but being excited about the learning opportunity and the challenges presented. It is about managing your work load, budgeting your time, and finding that balance in your life.

I am using the same thoughts to run my marathon. Finding the time to run, finding the motivation to keep going after 20km, and just pushing through it. You know when you are out of your rhythm and flow. When you wake up on the wrong side of the bed. People have their bad days and good. The key is to maximize the good days, by controlling your rhythm and flow.

On a side note, my computer was in the repair shop for the last month getting a new screen, which unsurprisingly disrupted my Rhythm and Flow (and gave me some time to think about the concept and adapt to a new one.) But now that I have it back, I hope to get back to writing my updates weekly/biweekly. As always, thank you for reading, feed back is appreciated, and let me know if there is anything you want to hear about specifically!