From Burnout to Brilliance: Embracing the Be-Do-Have Flow to Ignite Your Vision

Imagine a picture of the future that ignites passion in you. A dream, a vision. Something that is bigger than you currently are, because you will have to grow to achieve it. While holding that vision, think about who you need to become to achieve it.

One of the many useful theories introduced through Meta-Performance Institute is Be-Do-Have. Existing in Be-Do-Have is a flow state, deeply connected to your way of being – an identity you have created for yourself to ground into what feeds your vision. However, often our human condition gets sucked into a state of Do-Have-Be.

When you are in a state of constantly doing and looking for things to do, it can lead to burnout; that feeling is generally a sign of a lack of progress. This article is an invitation for you to raise your self-awareness when you start to feel the burnout and ask yourself, “what is this frame of mind going to birth for me that I don’t already have?”

In the last year as I have wrestled with my way of being, I started to journal about who I need to become to achieve my vision. Is my way of being aligned with my core values, beliefs, and characteristics in a supportive and motivating way? This exercise led me to create identity statements for myself. I use these statements as a tool to ground into my way of being.

I have found identity statements to be more useful than goals because they focus on who you are rather than what you want to achieve. This subtle but powerful shift gives identity statements several benefits:

• They tap into intrinsic motivation by aligning actions with self-perception. When you see yourself as a certain type of person, you're naturally motivated to act in ways that reinforce that identity.
• They tend to be more consistent and sustainable over time. For example, saying "I am a healthy person" encourages ongoing healthy behaviors, whereas a goal like "I want to lose 10 pounds" is temporary and may not lead to lasting change.
• When you adopt an identity, your daily behaviors and decisions are more likely to align with that identity. This makes it easier to make choices that support your long-term well-being and success.
• They help you stay resilient and adaptable. If you identify as a writer, for example, you're more likely to keep writing even when facing challenges, because it's part of who you are, not just something you're trying to achieve.

As an example, I am a Vice President of Client Insights at a market research company. I lead a vertical of 30 people from different backgrounds, geographies and cultures. My identity statement as it relates to my career is “I am an empowering leader who unlocks full potential in individuals and teams.”

Now if we think about the human condition that disorients us into the state of “Do-Have-Be” - I might approach my work in the following way:
• If I DO these high value activities
• I will HAVE a high-performing team
• Then I will BE an empowering leader

Where this gets dangerous is “what if the team isn’t performing at a high level”? Then I feel like I need to do more, do better. There is an imbalance and lack of clarity related to what I am doing it for. You can see how this constant state of doing can lead me straight to burnout.

But if I flip it around to the Be-Do-Have flow state
• I am an empowering leader who unlocks teams’ full potential
• So, I will do these high-value activities
• So, I can unlock this team’s potential

This has been resourceful for me to ground into, especially during performance reviews and connecting with team members from different backgrounds and with different personality traits. I tell myself “If I truly want to unlock your potential I need to do ___” It puts me on the hook for how I show up every day.

Don’t worry about getting it perfect – it’s all about your personal journey and what feels true to you.

If you’re interested in creating your own, I would invite you to think about 3 areas of your life where you want to see forward progress and create personal identity statements related to the way you want to show up. Here are a few questions to consider as you start:

• What are the core values that guide you toward your vision?
• How do you want to be perceived by others?
• How do you define your purpose in this area of your life?

I’d love to hear about your experience if you decide to give it a try. Feel free to reach out if you want to chat about it or need any support along the way. You can find me on Instagram @strongmindmuscleheart