Grinding is how you survive. Flowing is how you thrive. Most people never make the transition.
Executive coach Chris Woods describes his entire practice with one phrase:
"How do I help people get from good to great? And it's invigorating for me to be able to see guys go from what I say -go from grinding to flowing."
That shift -from grinding to flowing -is the real transformation. Not working less. Not wanting less. Just working differently.
The Grinding Trap
Here's what grinding looks like: Force of will. Pushing through. Compensating for weaknesses. Working hard at things that don't come naturally.
It works. Sort of. You can achieve a lot through sheer effort.
But there's a cost:
"I was achieving and doing well and ascending within the organization. But I was doing it just through sheer force of will and other gifts that I had."
That's Chris describing himself before coaching. Successful. Ascending. Grinding.
The problem with grinding is that it doesn't scale. You can't force your way to exceptional.
What Flowing Actually Means
Flowing isn't about being lazy. It's about alignment:
"How do I help them double down on the stuff that really makes them go, help them free up things that don't work for them."
When you're flowing:
- Your work feels natural (even when it's hard)
- You have energy at the end of the day
- Your results come from leverage, not just effort
- You're playing to your strengths instead of fighting your weaknesses
The Three-Part Transformation
Chris's process for moving from grinding to flowing has three components:
1. Double Down on Strengths
"Let's really double down on your strengths. How else can we be getting you to do more of that in your current role?"
Find what you're naturally great at. Do more of it. Get even better at it.
2. Free Up Non-Strengths
"If there's a large component of your current role that doesn't fit against your strengths -you assign this to somebody else."
Stop trying to be good at everything. Delegate, deprioritize, or redesign the parts of your work that drain you.
3. Gain Awareness of Time and Energy
"Help them gain awareness around how they're spending their time and their energy."
You can't optimize what you can't see. Track where your hours go. Notice what gives you energy versus what takes it.
The 15-25 Session Arc
Chris works with clients over 15-25 sessions. That's not a quick fix -it's a real transformation:
"After their 15 to 25 sessions, they've seen a massive transformation. It's real testament to the improvement that people see that I end up getting most of my business through referrals and recommendations."
The transformation takes time because you're not just changing tactics. You're changing how you operate at a fundamental level.
The Joyful Work Test
Here's how Chris defines the end state:
"Lead a life that's really joyful because you're playing from strengths and you're first off aware of and then able to kind of overcome your fear."
Notice what's present: Joy. Strengths. Awareness.
Notice what's absent: Grinding. Forcing. Compensating.
When you're flowing, work doesn't feel like work in the same way. The effort is still there. The challenge is still there. But the resistance is gone.
The Path From Here
If you're currently grinding, here's how to start the shift:
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Identify your strength zones. Where do you do your best work with the least friction?
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Audit your grinding. What parts of your work feel like pushing a boulder uphill?
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Experiment with delegation. Can someone else do your grinding tasks? Even imperfectly?
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Expand your strength time. Look for opportunities to do more of what comes naturally.
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Track your energy. Not just time -energy. What activities leave you depleted vs. energized?
The goal isn't to stop working hard. It's to stop working hard at the wrong things.
Chris Woods is an executive coach who works with men from early to late career. His upcoming book covers strengths and overcoming fear -the foundation of the grinding-to-flowing transformation. Learn more at chriswoodscoach.com.