What are the activities you find most stimulating, most enjoyable? Bring a few of those to mind and then ask yourself this question: What % of your time last week did you spend on them? How about last month? Too often we know things that feed us, things that thrill or balance us, become background to all that we have to get done. Chores, parenting, long work hours; the list can go on and on. When this happens you’re human, and you’re also a human in need of re-balancing.

 If only the human kind of re-balancing were similar to a car’s alignment things would be so simple, if not entirely cheap. We’d pay someone for an adjustment, a quick recalibration of our priorities and plans based on our values and preferences. While that kind of product doesn’t exist (seriously, don’t buy any magic pills for this) the fortunate thing is how simple actions can and will create a remarkable difference in your life.

 One such action is answering those two simple questions from above:

-What are the activities you find most stimulating, most enjoyable?

-What % of your time did you spend on them last week? Last month?

Other great steps to take include:

-Choosing 1-2 of those activities and scheduling for them within the next week

-Sharing your plan with a supportive friend or significant other

-Deciding on 2-3 things you could let go of (which currently take up needed time)

 These simple steps won’t solve all your problems, but they will get you closer to living a life that thrills you, that feeds your true interests. And one of the beauties and practical reasons for doing that is the greater chance you’ll achieve flow states. Not only are these psychological states, first studied by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, enjoyable in their own right- they also yield a host of benefits. Chief among them are: greater self-esteem, better coping with stress, greater productivity, and higher overall happiness.

 Not all flow states are created equal, however. When was the last time you spent 30 minutes, or hours, surfing around social media or shopping for things you didn’t really need while time slipped away? Flow by definition is when you get so into an activity that your experience of time and space is altered, to where your conscious mind is barely aware of how you’re feeling or what you’re thinking. Nothing against social media or online shopping, but if you’re like me a more disciplined, intentional use of them keeps you from feeling like your time has been stolen.

 Great ways to find positive flow states include:

-Really dive into an activity from the lists you generated at the top

-Find a sport to learn or re-engage in the favorite one you left behind

-Do the same thing with that dusty instrument in a case, or learn to play one

-Start playing a board game or video game that interests you

-Seek out more of the activities at work that are slightly challenging and are intriguing to you

 Whatever you do, just remember, actions are the verb for good intentions. And flow is the conductor for great ambitions.