Which is better: structure or flow?

Neither.

You need both.

If you think of yourself as a creative, visionary, intuitive and/or spiritual person, you might feel more comfortable with moving towards your big vision by “going with the flow.” It allows you to come up with amazing ideas, have big aha’s, experience incredible synchronicities, create prolifically, and feel connected to something greater than yourself.

Flowing puddle with reflection

Going with the flow can also make you feel confused, overwhelmed by possibilities, disorganized and like you’re going around and around in circles rather than towards your big vision.

whirling rain

Maybe you’re naturally a more structured person. You create lists and plans and milestones and systems to track how you’re spending your time and money. These tools help you to be organized, productive, grounded and able to see how you are making progress towards your goals. You feel in control of your destiny.

yellow stripe path

But then something happens and your plans don’t unfold the way you’d mapped them out. Unforeseen events or expenses make it impossible for you to stick with your schedule, budget, action plan, or time line. When life doesn’t fit within the structure you created, you might feel anxious, scared, powerless, or stuck.

NO

Whether you naturally lean towards going with the flow, or creating structures, you need to go back and forth between the two to realize your big vision. As one wise friend described it to me: a river needs banks to guide it to the ocean.

stream after rain

What feels more comfortable for you? Structure or flow?

Would adding a little more of one or the other help you realize your big vision?

All photos by me.

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