Many of us are all too aware of what’s not working in our lives. We would give anything for a little (or a lot) more ease.
Finding ways to use your strengths daily creates ease. Take 15 minutes and find yours for free, using the VIA survey here. I have no incentive/relationship with VIA Institute on Character.
VIA means Values in Action and was designed to help people identify what works well for them. It’s a counterpart to the DSM Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (a catalog that classifies what’s not working, in clinical terms).
You can win gold stars for work that makes you miserable.
You can be highly skilled and find success doing something that doesn’t bring you ease. This often occurs where external outcomes (money, recognition, power) and ego gets involved. You can win gold stars for work that makes you miserable. This isn’t ease, and can take a serious toll on your wellbeing over time. Working without ease doesn’t mean you need to quit your job or abandon your aspirations, though it might. You might simply need to find balance. Maybe you make a pivot with your role/responsibilities within the organization, or create opportunities to inhabit your strengths in other areas of your life.
My top VIA strengths include Honesty, Gratitude, Perspective, Love, Social Intelligence, Spirituality, and Kindness. When I coach I use many or all of them.
Outside of coaching and speaking, I perform on stage and write. These talents sometimes bring me joy and even elation, but they don’t often create ease. In fact, they serve as fertile ground for my inner-critic. My ambition sends me into striving mode, where I aim for outcomes in which the odds of success are extremely slim.
Find your flow.
Coaching reliably leads me to ease. Ease is a happy place, because it feels effortless. Ease means no striving. Ease can include hard work, but it doesn’t feel forced. When I coach I feel centered and completely myself. I feel “flow,” meaning hours can pass like minutes. Using my strengths provides meaningful connection and deep concentration. I leave a session energized and gratified.
Knowing your strengths and putting them into action can help you design a life where you feel more ease and flow–you being effortlessly and effectively you. I’d love to help you do that. I’m based in Madison, Wisconsin and coach virtually anywhere with internet or phone.
Learn more about coaching and Positive Psychology here.