Just because you’re good at it doesn’t mean you should be doing it
A framework for separating your superpowers, your conditions, and your flow state.
Last year, I listened to Rachel Lockett on Lenny Rachitsky Podcast. It’s an episode that I still think about, a lot.
She talked about what she calls your “gifts,” the things you’re naturally good at, and how when people operate from their gifts, they have more energy. She coaches people to aim for spending 80% of their time in their gifts. Eighty percent. 👀
And she made a fantastic point that stuck with me: it’s no one else’s job to help you live in your gifts.
My first reaction was: that sounds aggressive.
My second reaction was: what a challenge, I wanna live in the 80%!
My third reaction was: wait, do I even know what my gifts are? And are they the same as what I think of as my superpowers?
But the more I sat with it, the more I realized Rachel is actually conflating two different things. She uses "gifts" to describe both the things you're really good at and the things that give you energy. And I think that's a critical distinction she glosses over. Because being good at something and being energized by something are not the same thing. They overlap sometimes - hopefully they do! But sometimes they don’t. And when they don't overlap, things can easily break down.
Just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean you enjoy doing it. And if you don’t enjoy doing it, it’s really hard to sustain, even if you’re excellent at it.
Disclaimer: I recognize this is a privileged outlook. Not everyone gets to optimize for joy. But, the work of identifying your superpowers and distinguishing them from your flow state is actually really important information to hold.
Because when things go sideways, you need the language to understand why. Does this sit within my superpowers? Or does it sit within my flow state? Or neither?
I figured this out almost by accident.
February 6, 2023
When I left corporate, I did a lot of internal work as I started my coaching journey. I got really clear on the things I was good at and learned to articulate them. I also got clear on the things I enjoyed so much that they kept me in my, flow state. I personally define my flow state as something I could work on to no end because I’m just having so much fun doing it. This happened last month for me.
You don’t know what time it is.
You’re not watching the clock.
You’re just in it.
But there was a specific day that made all of this click.
I was in the middle of a rough chapter. And on February 7, 2023, I had a day that felt distinctly different from the days around it. Because I was struggling so much, I was able to pick my head up and say, whoa that this day was different.1
So I got curious. What was different about today?
I started to pull it apart.
I got a really good workout in that morning.
I got a ton of fresh air.
I went to lunch with someone in person and we ended up talking about a creative idea.
I went home and stayed up late brainstorming the creative idea, something I was really lacking and needing in my life at the time. I was texting friends, doing research, sketching it out, just because I was having so much fun.
And I was like: this is my flow state. I’m in deep discovery mode.
How do I orient my life so that I’m in deep discovery mode more often? How do I create circumstances where this happens?
But I also realized something else. The workout, the fresh air, the in-person connection, the creative conversation: those weren’t the flow state itself. Those were the conditions that made the flow state possible.
Three things, not one
Here’s where I’ve landed on. There are three distinct things:
Superpowers. These are the things you’re objectively good at. The skills people come to you for. For me, that’s facilitation, leadership, communication, operations, product thinking. These are real, demonstrated strengths. But being good at something doesn’t mean it energizes you. I love to lead. I hate operations.
Conditions. These are the environmental and lifestyle inputs that prime you for your best work. They’re not the work itself. They’re what sets the stage for great work to happen. For me on that February day, it was physical movement, fresh air, in-person human connection, and a creative conversation. When those conditions are present, I’m a different person. Days I wake up early and workout put me on a path to greatness, always.
Flow state. This is the thing you enjoy so deeply that time disappears. It’s where your energy is exponential. For me, it’s deep discovery mode: brainstorming, ideating, researching something new, going down a rabbit hole because you’re genuinely excited about where it leads. It’s not just something I’m good at. It’s something I could do forever. This was the weekend I really discovered Claude Cowork. Also any time I’m mixing music..stream me.
How to figure out yours
Knowing these three things are different is step one.
Actually identifying them for yourself is step two.
Here’s how I’d approach discovering each one:
Finding your superpowers. Ask five people who know you well: what do you come to me for? What am I better at than most people? Write down what you hear. You’ll start to see patterns. The important thing is to notice how you feel about each one. Some will make you light up when you read them. Others will make you think, “yeah, I’m good at that, but I kind of hate doing it.” That gap is the whole point. Circle the ones that drain you. Those are superpowers.
Finding your conditions. This one requires paying attention to your best days. Think about the last time you had a day where everything just clicked. Now work backwards. What happened before the work? Did you exercise that morning? Did you have an in-person conversation? Did you sleep well? Were you outside? Did you eat a real meal? Start tracking this. For a week or two, at the end of every good day, jot down what the conditions were. You’ll start to see your pattern. Mine became clear on February 7, 2023, but only because I was paying attention to the contrast.
Finding your flow state. Think about the last time you completely lost track of time doing something. Not Netflix. Not scrolling. Something where you were actively engaged and didn’t want to stop. What were you doing? Were you building something? Solving a puzzle? Teaching someone? Brainstorming? Writing? Now zoom out: what’s the underlying activity? For me, the underlying activity was deep discovery, going from zero to one on an idea. That’s the flow state. Name it. And then ask yourself: how often does my actual job put me in this state? If the answer is rarely, that’s important information.
Now use it
Once you’ve done this work, you have a diagnostic tool. When you’re stuck, when you’re unmotivated, when you’re not performing at the level you know you can, you can figure out which lever is off instead of just grinding harder or blaming yourself.
Ask: Am I in my flow state right now, or am I just executing a superpower? Have I set up the conditions that make flow possible today? When something feels hard, is it because the task is outside my superpowers, or because the conditions aren’t right?
And here’s the real challenge, the one Rachel Lockett planted in my head: what would it look like to spend 80% of your time in your gifts?
I still think that sounds aggressive.
But it reframes the question entirely. It’s not about working harder. It’s about knowing yourself well enough to design your work around the things that give you energy instead of drain it.
And that’s your job, not anyone else’s.
Identify your superpowers. Set your conditions. Chase your flow state.
I’m Jori Bell, VP of Core at Hampton. I’m also a Coach for Product Leaders. If you’re looking for support, drop me a note, I’d love to connect. 🤝
Insert “why is this night different from all other nights?” Passover joke for my fellow Jews.
And just because you're not good at it (yet), doesn't mean you have no talent for it.
What a great point about creating conditions to set you up. Almost always overlooked, and so key.