Overcoming Obstacles | Embracing Flexibility | Building Your Process

Create a Flow That Fuels You Parts: 3, 4 & 5

Overcoming Obstacles:

If we keep trying to fit into systems that don’t align with our needs, we risk stalling our progress, feeling stuck in a version of success that doesn’t serve us and falling victim to burn out. Here are some common barriers that keep people from building their own flow:

• Failure: It’s common to feel that if you don’t follow a proven method, you’ll fail. But what if the process is what is actually failing you? Or maybe failure is part of the process? Understanding that your process is key to your succuss and finding what works often times is hiding with the middle of failure (or what feel like it). It is something to not only learn from but to use to refine your approach. Guiding you to the better next action for a more sustainable solution that works for you.

• Perfectionism: Many of us get stuck thinking that everything has to be perfect before we can move forward. Especially when a system, process, or method was successful in the pass. Making it seem like because of that success that is definition of perfection and if it is not that than it must be before we experience success again. This is where we can lean of what we learned from that success and allow progress drive success—not perfection.

• Comparison: When we’re constantly comparing ourselves to others, we lose sight of what works best for us. Just because someone else’s process works for them doesn’t mean it will work for you.

• Overwhelm: With so many systems, tools, and strategies out there, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. That’s why I created the ​ThrivFOCUS tool​—a flexible, adaptable resource that helps simplify and organize while still leaving room for your personal flow.

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Choose one of these barriers that resonates with you. Write down one way you can begin addressing or reframing this obstacle. Below are some reflection questions to support you.

• Failure: What if I looked at failure as feedback instead of a setback? How might this shift help me see the lessons in my mistakes and guide me toward a more sustainable approach?

• Perfectionism: When has progress—not perfection—brought me closer to my goals? How could I use those lessons to keep moving forward without waiting for everything to be ‘just right’?

• Comparison: What is one strength or unique quality in my approach that I can celebrate today? How can I focus on building a process that highlights what works best for me instead of comparing myself to others?

• Overwhelm: With all the options available, what are the core tools or steps that help me feel organized and focused? How can I simplify my approach to make it feel manageable and empowering?

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Embracing Flexibility - Cooking Without a Recipe

Think about being in a kitchen. Your kitchen is likely organized completely differently than how it was for the people who lived there before you. Same kitchen, but a different person with unique strengths and needs. And then there’s what we’re doing in the kitchen—some of us (NOT ME) are excellent bakers, where precision and attention to detail are key.

For me, baking requires a different approach to set myself up for success compared to cooking, where an exact recipe isn’t as much of a necessity. I like to use the kitchen as an experimental space. When I want to flex my creativity in a new way, I step out of my creative expertise and start trying things out, seeing what I can create with what’s already in my pantry and refrigerator. This exercise helps me practice adaptability. I taste as I go, adjust the ingredients, and make it my own.

Your business and creative process can work the same way. You don’t need a perfect recipe for success (although that can be one approach); you can also savor the sweet and savory joys of success by adapting and creating as you go.

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4 |

Approach one task or goal this week like cooking without a recipe. Allow yourself to adjust and try new things, rather than focusing on doing it “the way it was taught to you.” Take notes on what you learn, and consider how flexibility can serve you moving forward.

Building Your Process with Practical Tools

When I created the ThrivFOCUS tool, I wanted a space that could support brain-dumping, prioritizing, creativity, planning, reflection, and flexibility—all without wasting pages, yet still having everything in one place (including my vision board!). I know it was a lot to ask, but it’s exactly what I needed. So, I started building it in 2017. Many versions later, I didn’t stop until I had created not only what I needed to cultivate both creativity and success, but a tool that acts as a flexible foundation (yes, it’s possible!) for anyone wanting to develop a process that’s efficient, effective, and brings harmony and productivity into their life.

There are countless productivity and time-management tools, contemplative processes, planning and prioritizing methods, and creative workflows to help us reach our goals. Believe me, I know! I’ve spent a career researching and searching for the game-changing formula that would bring harmony and success into my life.

Here's what I found. Many of the tools I still use today and being not only a small business owner and Through this struggle—and many seeming failures—I realized I had to create it myself, and it had to have these elements to fully support me and my well-being.

Become a paid subscriber to dive deeper into the ThrivFOCUS tool’s foundational elements that transformed my life. Purchase the ThrivFOCUS tool and receive a free toolkit download filled with high-performance tools and concepts to support your journey even further!