From Fixed to Flow
👋 Hey there,
Following Fixed to Flow's soft launch, the project that gives this newsletter its name, I want to share the thought process behind some of its pillars. This discussion may delve deep, even philosophically, at times. While the systems I create are straightforward and don't require an in-depth understanding of what I'll share today, getting a glimpse behind the scenes might be an interesting journey for some of you.
The Meaning Crisis
We live in a world where privileged people can express their uniqueness.
Identity is becoming more complex, contextual, and nuanced—sometimes even multifaceted. But this explosion of diversity has a downside—a big and impactful one.
This freedom emerged due to the dissolution of traditional conventions and social constructs. As a result, we don't trust old institutions, religion, or other pillars from the past. And sometimes, we don't even trust ourselves.
Our self-determination to choose without a pre-defined path based on societal conventions is a mixed blessing, often creating a sense of disconnection — even in this hyper-connected era.
While breaking away from the constraints of the past, we also lost a clear sense of direction.
True, this doesn't apply to all of us. There are many shades of gray in between. But many are on a relentless quest to find the new thing to help them know who they are. By doing this, they are playing with the rules from the past.
This pursuit often leads us to run in circles as people hop onto the latest cause, travel the world looking for enlightenment, engage in endless spiritual journeys, follow a charismatic person, or any other new shining experience.
All of the above can be valuable and enriching. The challenge arises when we constantly shift from one to another, looking for a final fix. And in the process, sometimes we lose the notion of who we are.
Let's face it. Change is part of our world, and being stuck in the past is not an option.
However, to navigate uncertainty, we also need anchors to define who we are in the present moment.
Flow Compass
People have historically turned to a variety of belief systems for guidance.
This direction connects directly with an individual's sense of being and perception of life's meaning and purpose. However, it also encompasses a practical aspect. We all have finite resources like time, energy, or money. We need to decide where to apply them.
The guiding force can be religion, ideology, spirituality, or people's own interpretation of the world. Often, it's a blend of many elements and life experiences. Regardless of its form, conscious or not, it is a vital instrument for guiding decisions and actions.
However, in today's world, finding direction can be challenging, a reality I faced not too long ago.
My life changed radically at the personal and professional levels three years ago. A long and deeply meaningful relationship had ended, and my design agency didn't survive the pandemic. After a short sabbatical, it was time for a new beginning.
As someone who has helped others on their life journeys and built productivity systems for many years, I thought planning the future would be "easy." This couldn't be further from the truth. A question kept circulating in my mind.
How do we build reliable tools to navigate a world in constant flow?
I decided to see this problem from a first principles perspective by answering two questions: (1) How to define and articulate the anchors that keep my identity grounded, and (2) how that identity could continuously adapt and evolve.
The classic concept of a life compass can easily answer the first question. A life compass is a personal framework or set of principles that guide an individual's decisions and actions in life. It allows us to consider our identity as diverse building blocks assembled together.
Answering the second question was tricky and required repurposing the concept of the life compass itself; more specifically, dropping the word "life" and adding 'flow' to it. By doing so, the concept becomes more suited to uncertain environments and conveys the idea of the need for continuous adaptation. Words matter. After all, it intends to keep our identity grounded but adaptable.
See it as a framework to understand and shape your identity and ensure continuous growth while maintaining your essence. Never forget that any representation of reality is always flawed, though. The intention is not to build an exact reflection of who you are—that is not possible or desirable. Instead, the actual value lies in the process, the self-reflection prompted by the questions you ask, and the choices you make.
But how a flow compass breathes and evolves? How does it flow?
Growth Flywheel
I've been running personal experiments for a long time. With time, I gradually started working on a growth flywheel to ensure their impact and prevent endless purposeless optimization.
The flywheel consists of four interconnected vectors: experimentation, diversity, reflection, and integration.
Experimentation is the lifeblood of personal growth.
Diversity helps prevent a cycle of repetitive optimization.
Reflection is what makes us learn the lessons from the experiments.
Integration allows us to incorporate the lessons in the way we act.
The concept applies to both kids and adults. But in a different way.
Kids are experimentation machines. Diversity is also very appealing to them. But sometimes, it takes years for proper reflection and integration. That's a beautiful part of life; they find what they love by doing countless experiments until something sticks with them.
Adults tend to run much fewer personal experiments. They focus more on committing to what they currently do—whether they love it or not. They have not only less time but also more responsibilities in life. But often, when they decide to try something new, they go "all in" from one day to the next. There is no need for that in most cases; there are many ways to keep trying new things as an adult.
There examples:
Before starting your podcast, consider guest appearing or co-hosting on existing podcasts. This will help you understand the work involved and if you enjoy it.
Before moving to a new country, live there for a month or two. This trial period can give you a realistic perspective on daily life, culture, and potential challenges.
If you're considering a career change, such as opening a restaurant, ask a restaurant owner if you could shadow them for a week. You might even work in a restaurant for a while.
The bottom line is that we should embrace more uncertainty, like happy scientists with an experimental mindset. There is no need to stop dreaming or make thoughtless radical moves. We can sense and respond to new opportunities as we go.
Flow OS
The flow compass and its growth flywheel are two pillars of the meaningful productivity system I've built and refined for years.
It started as a nameless set of tools, processes, and other building blocks. It evolved a couple of years ago, during the radical change I mentioned, to a consistent system I called at the time purpose to action.
After countless hours of research, conversations, and reflection last year, I renamed it Flow OS.
The current version is thorough but doesn't intend to be a solution for everything or a dogmatic approach to anything; it is a very pragmatic set of building blocks that will fit any system of beliefs or way of life.
In fact, it's pretty basic. It helps you organize your thoughts about what you value and the direction you want to take in alignment with those thoughts—and gives you concrete tools and processes to act on them.
Solid systems can take many forms and shapes, from fully integrated tools and processes to a simple notebook. The only critical requirements are that you can trust it and it works for you.
Each system I build for someone is a co-creation journey where we know what will probably be the main blocks, but we never know the final setup.
This personalization makes each version of Flow OS not just a system but a unique journey of discovery and growth.
I'll focus on the Flow OS in one of the following issues of this newsletter.
Stay strong, Gus