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5 steps to enter the flow state
- Pick the right task: to achieve a flow state, you need to find the right balance between the challenge of the activity and your own skills levels.
- Define your goal: you need a clearly defined end goal to get in the flow.
- Cut out distractions: this means no phone, no multitasking, only the necessary tools.
- Take a deep breath: focus on the present moment, accept that you may fail, and let go of your ego.
- Work mindfully: keep your mind fully attentive to what you are working on in that moment.
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What is flow?
The term “flow” was coined by Dr Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in the 1960s. In his book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, he describes it as a highly focused mental state which facilitates productivity. In his research, Dr Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi found t...
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“The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.”
DR MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI
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Flow is important both because it makes the present instant more enjoyable, and because it builds the self-confidence that allows us to develop skills and make significant contributions to humankind.
DR MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI
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Have you ever felt like you were in a zen-like meditative state while working, mentally free to execute and apply your skills with no distracting thought whatsoever inside your mind? Feeling entirely absorbed in an activity? This is called being in the zone or getting in the flow.Those expressions are often used about athletes performing at their peak, with all their attention focused on the task at hand. No concern, no conscience of time—just pure, invigorating work driven by heightened awareness.
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Requirements To Enter Flow
To enter flow, you need appropriated self-control, environmental conditions, skills, task and rewards. Besides that, you must know what you’re doing, be able to see whether or not you’re doing it well, and be pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone.
The last point is esp...
Choosing an activity to enter the flow state
Arguably, the most important criteria in the pursuit of flow is to pick intrinsically rewarding tasks that have high consequences (e.g., rock climbing or public speaking), clear feedback, and take place in a rich and varied environment (so not your office cubicle).
Practice deliberately to bring on more Flow
Flow is dependent on finding that sweet spot between your skills and the challenge at hand. Having some mastery and knowing how to use it is necessary to reach flow state.
You can achieve this by not just going through the motions of an activity, but having a specific, analyzable ...
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