#41: Flow State
Hey friends,
Have you ever had this experience of being fully immersed in what you're doing so much that time feels like it has slowed down? This experience is called the Flow State. The flow state describes a feeling when you give your fullest attention to an activity or task that you are passionate about.
The flow state is an optimal state of consciousness where we feel our best and perform our best.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a positive psychologist that popularized the term, interviewed people in different fields to understand the time they experience this optimal performance. He went on to define the flow state as "A state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else matters. The experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at a great cost for the sheer sake of doing it."
In order to enter this flow state, we need to meet some conditions.
1 - Clarity of Goal
Clarity of goal is an important part of entering the flow state. There need to be clear goals about what we want to achieve, both in the short and long term. If we don't set clear goals, we will be more likely to give in to distractions.
We need to set long term goals to understand the big picture—the overall purpose of doing the work. Then we also need to break those long-term goals into shorter ones. So that when we sit down for a session of work, we know exactly what we want to achieve during that session.
2 - Challenge
The goals and tasks need to be challenging enough. There is a fascinating relationship between the challenge level and skill level. If the challenge is low, and the skill is high, we find ourselves getting bored because the task is too easy. On the other hand, if the challenge is high, and the skill is low, we'll be anxious because the task is too difficult for our skillset.
We enter into flow when the challenge is difficult enough for the skillset we have. This helps us enter this positive feedback loop where, as the challenge is increasing, the skill is increasing. And as the skill is increasing, we need to increase the challenge.
The flow state makes itself present during challenging and engaging activities. When we reach the flow state, it brings about a heavy sense of concentration, good feelings and happiness. Inducing the flow is not easy, because it takes time. It is difficult to get into the flow state and easier to maintain this flow state. So, when we finally get into this flow state, we want to avoid distractions as much as possible. Distraction is the enemy of flow.
Have a great week!
Daniel
🎉 My Favourite Things This Week
🎙️ Podcast - I listened to this episode of the ladybug podcast on Creating Digital Content. In this episode, they shared how digital contents they have been creating, their journey, how to start yours, how to make money from publishing content, and much more. Listen to it here.
📰 Article - I was overwhelmed for the most part of the last week, I felt each day was just passing by without me doing anything much really. And when I do, I just rush through it. So, I had to read one of my previous articles and take my own advice to understand what's happening and how I can fix it.
✍️ Notes of the Week
🎯 Quote of the Week
One of the best habits a learner can instill in herself is regular self-quizzing to recalibrate her understanding of what she does and does not know.
— The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People By Stephen R, Covey. Resurfaced with Readwise.