We’ve all heard the phrase, “There’s a time for work, and there’s a time for play.” That little piece of advice has implications inherent within it that just don’t jive with all the observations I’ve ever made into the realm of human peak performance.
Peak performance can be defined as that state of mind from which we achieve maximum payoff with least investment. It’s a “FLOW” state. Our conditioning leads us to believe that what’s happening in that state is “too good to be true”, or “shouldn’t be this easy.”
Most of us look at this image and make the assumption that this woman must be on vacation (I much prefer the term on Holiday). If she’s laying around floating in the sea on a Monday afternoon, she’s either on Holiday, independently wealthy or lazy and out of her mind. The irony is, that she is creating the ideal peak performance state. She’s activating creative genius here. Peace. Stillness. Needlessness. Lightness. Pleasure. Freedom. Serenity. Joy. Rightness. Timelessness. These are the characteristics of the minds of the masters who create miracles consistently, with effortless ease.
When we are operating from a state of coherence, effortlessness and lightness of being, we’re in the zone. It may at other times appear to others (that can’t know what state of mind we’re in by simply observing us from the outside) that we’re “working” our butts off, but that isn’t the case at all. In fact it’s just the opposite.
It may appear that the climber and the high jumper are “working” or struggling to achieve the desired outcomes. But if these athletes are in the zone (and I’m quite certain they are, for he is a world class climber, and she’s clearing that bar by a mile and knows it!), then they’re fundamentally in the same state as the woman floating in the sea.
The worst implied message inherent with the “a time for work and a time for play” message is that it’s intelligent and advisable to sacrifice the light-heartedness (play state) in order to achieve what you desire.
WRONG!!!!
If we’re really interested in creating miracles, there’s actually no time for “work”, but rather only time for play. In this context, “work” refers to the survival mentality. Most of us have been conditioned to believe me must try to survive in this life, where resources are scarce. So we need to “work hard.” “No pain; no gain!” Oooof.
The hell with that! No pain? Good!
Imagine a life in which ALL that you do – everything – you do from a place of bliss, reward, meaning, lightness, passion. When you operate from that state, you are activating all forms of intelligence, creativity and skill.
And if you think to yourself, “Well, I could see feeling that when I’m really wealthy, or if I had my dream job and wasn’t in THIS situation…” then this tip is especially timely for you! Because if you’re thinking about waiting for something outside yourself to be different before you create and live from that state of bliss, then you’ll always be waiting.
Don’t wait! Create the state now.
Let the outcomes you desire – the miracles – happen spontaneously as a consequence of the state. State comes first.
The outer world is a reflection of the inner world. CREATE THE STATE!
4 Comments
The irony of your high jumper image is that in this picture she had knocked the bar off the support standards. Don’t mean to call this out in a negative way but rather I feel this hurts your message and brand with an image that doesn’t reflect your message.
A high jumper image is a perfect example of an athlete being in the zone as to compete in this event during the actual jump you must be on autopilot as everything happens in nanoseconds. That is why you see high jumpers going through in their mind, every step, turn, plant and jump phase of the jump prior to them actually attempting the jump.
Hope this helps.
Have a super Day
GREAT catch, Brad! I was a high jumper in college and I didn’t even notice that! We’re changing out the image now. Props to you!
Thank you Chris.
My thinking about play and high performance changed after listening to your conversation with Steve Chandler in his Wealth Warrior movement. You said: “What if your highest success came while you were having fun?” That opened new avenues of thinking for me.
Appreciate your writing and sharing.
Yakov, I love that. Thank you for sharing that here!