What the Heck Is Conation?

Have you ever wondered why some things just seem to come naturally to you? 🤔

You don’t have to think about how to do them. You simply do them.

That’s conation. ✨

If you’ve been following me, you know conation is my word of the year. In 2026, I’m on a mission to bring this fascinating word back into our everyday vocabulary.

Apparently, it disappeared somewhere along the way, only to be rediscovered in the 1970s, buried in the pages of an old thesaurus. Remember those?

Today, even the digital Merriam-Webster Thesaurus seems to have misplaced it.

But the concept is far too valuable to lose.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines conation as an inclination, such as an instinct, drive, wish or craving, to act purposefully.

In other words, it’s what naturally moves you to action. 🚀

Your instincts know more than you think

Plato and Aristotle were talking about human instincts thousands of years ago.

And we still experience them every day.

Take your dominant hand. Did you consciously decide which hand you would use to write, throw or catch? Probably not. It simply felt natural. (Unless, of course, someone decided your natural left-handedness needed to be “corrected”!)

Our instinctive strengths work much the same way. 🧠

They’re often so natural that we don't even recognize them as strengths.

• You might naturally see patterns others miss
• You might instinctively know how to bring people together
• You might be the person who immediately sees what needs to happen next
• Or perhaps you naturally turn chaos into structure

Because these things come easily to you, you may not realize how valuable they are. 🔑

Where does flow fit in?

Think about those moments when you’re completely absorbed in what you’re doing.

You lose track of time.

You’re challenged, but it doesn’t feel like a struggle.

You’re energized rather than depleted.

That’s the feeling we often call flow. 🌊

We experience it in hobbies, creative pursuits, problem-solving and, if we’re fortunate, in our work.

What if flow is giving you clues about your conative strengths?

What if those activities that feel almost effortless are pointing directly toward your natural advantage? 🌱

Here’s the opportunity

Many of us spend our professional lives focusing on what we should improve. What if we spent more time understanding what we already do exceptionally well?

Your instinctive strengths can become your zone of genius, your secret sauce and your competitive advantage. 🦸

The key is recognizing them, understanding them and intentionally putting them to work. Because when you align your natural strengths with your goals, something powerful happens:

• Clarity replaces confusion
• Confidence replaces hesitation
• Action becomes more natural

So, what comes naturally to you?

And more importantly...

Are you making the most of it?

I’m an innovative marketing strategist passionate about maximizing the instinctive strengths of business owners and professionals for powerful business results. 💪

If you’re curious about transforming your growth challenges into clear, confident action, let’s talk.

Your natural advantage may be closer than you think.

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Stay inspired,

Laural Carr

Founder + CEO | Impagination | Strength-Aligned Business Growth

I’m an award-winning strategic marketer who helps founders, business owners and leaders stand out by defining their unique value and expressing it clearly in every conversation. My approach is rooted in aligning strengths for both personal and professional growth to drive meaningful, sustainable success.