go where the energy flows
Go where the energy flows.
If you're like me, you might balk at that. What's with this woo-woo talk? What's with this spiritual la-la nonsense? But fellow skeptic, it may be more practical than you think.
Following the energy is just listening to how things are going in your life—and having an open mind about the direction you want to go. It's noticing whether you're consistently in an uphill battle, whether you're playing Sisyphus and just pushing a boulder up the hill only to watch it roll down again. If your energy is being expended, wasted, burned—that's a sign. If it feels like it's flowing, channeling, compounding—that's another sign.
It follows the language of intuition more than fixed metrics. It's a felt experience.
Here's what's got me thinking about this: my job.
I'm going down one path—my current role—and I find myself consistently struggling. Not because I'm doing a bad job, but because the effort it takes just to stay afloat, to keep all the stakeholders happy, to do good work... it's a lot. It's too much. It's beyond a learning curve and into Sisyphus territory.
I may get one boulder up the hill. But surely enough, the same one—or another—rolls back down. Square one. More hours. More stress. No accolades, no promotions, no recognition.
Conversely, I've done a few things in this job that aren't part of my role at all. Building tools. Side projects. And with a fraction of my time, I've built a reputation strong enough that leaders from other departments are tapping my shoulder, saying they want to work with me.
When I share my struggles with friends, with mentors I trust, the answer is almost unanimous: go with the energy. Maybe move into something new. Maybe follow this tool-building path that's opening up.
The trap is fixation.
I'm in one role now, hoping to grow in this particular role. But maybe being fixed on that idea is what's hurting me. I could stick to it—keep fighting that uphill battle. That's a choice. And there's merit to striving, persisting, being relentless toward a goal.
But there's a fine line—I'll emphasize, a fine line—between that and Sisyphean futility.
So here's my invitation: keep your eyes and ears open to the signs.
To the language of the universe. To your loved ones, your council, your friends. To where the energy goes.
If your efforts yield ten outputs for every input—if things feel in flow, if they feel easy—that's the signal. And if it's the inverse? That's a signal too.
The harder step isn't recognizing where the energy flows.
It's actually following it.
