Your Ideal Career Is at the Intersection of Flow and Meaning
Not sure what you want to do with your life? Try this quick journaling exercise to narrow your options and find a profession that you enjoy.
The Holsti exercise is based on the work of the psychologist Mihai Csikszentmihalyi, who introduced the concept of flow, the feeling of being “in the zone” and being immersed in activity. The goal is to find a job that you feel vitally interested in:
Positive psychologist Mihai Csikszentmihalyi (stream guy) interviewed over 100 highly productive scientific and creative people to see how they found their calling. The study revealed a consistent storytelling that the researchers called “vital engagement.” This is usually defined as “an attitude towards the world that is characterized by both the experience of flow (enjoyment of absorption) and meaning (subjective meaning).”
So the first step is to ask yourself what activities have you ever felt carried away or so engrossed in that you were prompted to go further. The second step is to think about the activity in which you find meaning: “What would the best version of yourself do with your life?” and “What projects develop the qualities you most admire?”
Next, create a Venn diagram (mental or real drawn) and see where the areas intersect. This is the golden mean.
The exercise, while simple, may be difficult and may not necessarily give you the answer, but it may give you some ideas for your possible next career advancement.
Flow, Meaning, and Job Search of Your Life | Holstee via Creativity Post