Discover the Effortless Power of “Flow”
Post written by Dayne. Follow him on Twitter.
18 Happy Comments
- Go with the Flow. Find Happiness.
Have you ever ridden down a steep hill on a bicycle? You most likely found that all of your focus was on the bike, the wind rushing past, and the road beneath you. The experience was purely exhilarating and there was no room for doubt or anxiety.
What do successful artists, chess players and athletes have in common with that downhill bike ride? According to psychologists who study human creativity and happiness, they know how to focus on an enjoyable activity and tap into this feeling of exhilaration on a regular basis.
Psychologist Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi has given a name to experiences which are characterized by this energized type of focus – “flow.” The name is a metaphor for the sense of effortless action that comes with intense focus. Immersion in almost any activity can bring flow. Even work can lead to moments of flow when we learn to focus on the aspects of the job that we enjoy most.
More than the pursuit of pleasure or possessions, successive periods of flow make up a happy life. Concentrating on an activity to the extent that time and the self is forgotten, we feel that we have become part of something greater. According to Csíkszentmihályi, “Moments such as these provide flashes of intense living against the dull background of everyday life.”
For some people flow occurs naturally; the rest of us have to work at it. Here are some thoughts on how you can bring more flow into your life.
- Flow occurs most often in activities that have a clear set of goals and responses. Examples of this type of activity include chess, poker and tennis. When you’re immersed in one of these games, you feel yourself reacting to decisions almost instinctively. Outside of the arena of games, composing a piece of music or writing a computer program are activities that provide the clear goals and responses that lead to a feeling of flow.
- Flow can occur at work when the job has clear goals and rules of performance. In his research studies on flow, Csíkszentmihályi has found that it’s easier to experience flow at work than during leisure activities. Maybe this is because work is usually more challenging than non-work activities. Also, there are usually more opportunities to concentrate at work and the product of one’s effort is more likely to be rewarded.
- Structure your leisure time around flow. Hobbies, sports and exercise are far more likely to provide a sense of flow than time spent watching television. It may seem easier to watch television, and there’s nothing wrong with unwinding by just doing nothing, but expending some effort in a meaningful activity will bring more happiness in the long run.
- Recognize the potential for flow in social activities. Most of us have had the experience of “clicking” with another person and of engaging in a conversation that we remember long after. When this happens, we are in the social flow. Interacting in relationships with people who have similar goals to our own can bring a sense of flow. Paying attention to the goals of others and then sharing our related experiences and feelings can create a social atmosphere that invites flow.
Even though flow is often achieved at work, many people are unable to realize the benefits of flow on the job because of external forces like stress or boredom. Csíkszentmihályi has some suggestions for taking a new approach to work.
- Transform a routine job by finding something to focus on. A clerk can make a goal of providing the best customer service, a teacher can decide to help those students most in need, and an engineer can attempt to streamline a design process. These are a few examples of how to find flow by creating focus.
- Add excitement to a dull job by creating challenges. Examine different parts of the job and try to do it better or faster. Instead of spending time trying to avoid work, expend the same energy in trying to do the best job possible. When approached with a sense of personal mission, even the most tedious and boring job can bring a sense of flow.
- Reduce on-the-job stress. Stress can occur at work when disorganization or interruptions make it impossible to achieve a sense of accomplishment and flow. Deal with these issues by making to-do lists and delegating work if possible. If some tasks seem insurmountable or unknown, get help or training so that they can be tackled.
What are some of the biggest deterrents to being able to experience flow? Factors such as an unhappy childhood, poverty and poor health can make it hard for a person to see life as a joyful experience. Yet there are people who deal with seemingly insurmountable problems and maintain a positive outlook.
The ability to control one’s focus is critical when it comes to dealing with life’s problems. Some people focus on suffering, others learn to live with it and turn their focus elsewhere.
Control over your focus is something you can practice. When engaged in an activity, whether it’s something simple like washing the dishes or something more complex like doing your taxes, give it your full attention. You can also give yourself more time for flow by working out your schedule to include more time for activities that you really enjoy. An occasional change in your surroundings and routines can also help give you a new perspective and encourage flow. Taking a vacation or redecorating your workplace can give you a new way of looking at your life and go a long way towards helping you to identify what you really enjoy doing.
Csíkszentmihályi suggests that as we search for goals that will allow us to focus our attention and achieve a sense of flow, we need to choose goals which will produce some good in the world. He calls flow a “source of mental energy,” an energy that must be used for constructive purposes. He encourages us to develop a sense of serious playfulness that will make it possible to be both focused and free at the same time.
According to Buddhism, we should “act always as if the future of the universe depended on what you did, while laughing at yourself for thinking that whatever you do makes any difference.”
Flow: The Psychology of Experience by Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi. If you are interested in reading this fascinating book which I have discussed in this post, simply click on the book image and you will be taken to Amazon.com where you can read reviews and more about this book. Definitely a must read.
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My question for you…
Tell me about what you do to get into “flow” in YOUR life.
Posted on September 2, 2009
Finding the flow for me happens, oddly enough, in the ranges of 10am-3pm and then again from 8pm-2pm. It’s been like this for a while now. I work online for 80+ hours a week and enjoy every minute of it.
I’m just ready at those hours. However, when it comes to practicing tango or working out, I have to watch a video or look at a picture to imagine the results I want to achieve.
BE. DO. HAVE.
Pete | The Tango Notebook´s last blog ..When Will You Finally Embrace Tango as Alternative Medicine?
Going with the flow is just calmly and confidently expecting things to go extremely well. This can range from blog posting, positive thoughts, communicating with strangers or getting your bills paid on time. Allow yourself to go with the flow is just a natural experience of getting more things done in less time with more efficiency.
jonathanfigaro´s last blog ..How To Use Positive thinking For Change
Awesome post! It’s so important to go with the flow (and this is something I struggle with) so I’m glad you addressed this topic here. I loved reading about it and I’m interested in learning even more!
Positively Present´s last blog ..the 9 don’ts of dealing with anger
Pete – I’m just like you, I have my “peak” times of flow daily. My best times are usually mid-morning. That is when I get into a nice creative flow.
Jonathan – You pointed out some great things about flow…confidence and being calm. You are 100% correct on that. Thanks for making that more clear with your comment.
Dani – Thanks for commenting! Yes, I too struggle with it as well, but once you find the ways to harvest flow or know how to set the foundations for it…it usually comes very naturally. I also love reading about it too!
When I’m writing a post that has been on my mind for a while the words will sometimes flow very naturally and effortlessly. I’ve completed some of my best posts this way.
JS Dixon´s last blog ..Harness the Power of Your Surroundings
hi Dayne,
what a wonderful post! I love the comparison to the bicycle at full-speed down a hill and the focus that takes place at the same time!
I keep hearing this voice in my head lately ~i think it was triggered from a Zen blog reminding me to ‘Single-Task’.. that is tough! I find I love to soak it all up! life that is! However, I do get overwhelmed easily..when I do not focus, and stay with the ‘natural flow’ of things!
I like how you shared this part:
‘Instead of spending time trying to avoid work, expend the same energy in trying to do the best job possible.’
I have been doing this lately and it is so satisfying! I love meeting challenges and feeling that rush of accomplishment! Even small things done excellently are awesome!
I’m learning to lighten up, laugh again, and enjoy the fullness of the present moment! To me, this is what it means to get in with the flow! Staying light, less burdened and just trusting that everything is unfolding as it should – as i do my part, of course!
Take care, Dayne! Great post!
~Jen
Jen´s last blog ..Possibilities, and Growing Naturally!!
JS Dixon – I know what you mean about getting into a flow when writing certain blog posts. I am the same way, and some of my best have come from that state of flow.
Jen – I like what you said about “staying light”. I think that is a key concept when it comes to flow. It is like opening the door for things to start to happen naturally.
Thank you both for commenting!
I was listening to an artist express this same concept of flow and she said that sometimes it feels as if the universe just opens up and everything falls effortlessly and beautifully into place. She contrasted this experience to those times when writing a song was extremely challenging (almost painful) because things were not flowing. I thought this comparison was so interesting and for me it reinforced the necessity of being able to reach this state with things in your life. The quote you included by Csíkszentmihály only further supported that position for me and the reason why we should focus on achieving this experience…“Moments such as these provide flashes of intense living against the dull background of everyday life.”
In many ways, I think that is one of the main things life is about. Identifying those instances when we know we are just doing things the way they were meant to be done. I am one of those people that needs to work at this and in order to reach those moments, I really try to put all of my attention on what I am doing and invest all I can in the moment. I try and give all of myself to the activity and genuinely try to capture every moment and experience. It is a work in progress for me and reading your post was very helpful. Thanks for shifting my focus to flow. It really should be top of mind as much as possible.
alternaview´s last blog ..You May just have to do a little more than “just believe”
I love the concept of flow. I loved your point about needing clear responses. I had never thought of it before, but it’s tasks where I get instant feedback that I enjoy the most. It’s when I am working for a distant goal that I start to feel weary.
Excellent post!
Kaizan´s last blog ..If You’re Busy, Is it OK to Cut Back on Sleep and Exercise?
I love this article! When I get into the flow, it seems that nothing can distract me. I feel so focused. My mind is clear and on that one thing only.
Again, great post!
BeTrulyHappy´s last blog ..Secret of Success: YOU
Alternaview – I love this line you wrote, “it feels as if the universe just opens up and everything falls effortlessly and beautifully into place.” That pretty much sums up “flow” perfectly.
Kaizan – Yes, I agree with you. Keeping clear goals and responses is very important. When this is set, it makes “flow”…flow more easily in most cases. Thanks for commenting!
BeTrulyHappy – Thanks for visiting and commenting here! I know what you mean, when you get into flow, focus is almost unbreakable.
Thanks, Dayne. A fine post.
For me, The Happy Self has a real sense of flow about it – a great vibe!
Flow is very important to my GTD strategies and tactics. I do many things to get into the flow state – it is the state of highest productivity and creativity.
For example, I pastel paint landscapes. There’s a point in the painting process, where I’m maybe painting a distant horizon, when I almost become one with the horizon.
This will sound whacky, but I assure you, I remain pharmaceutical-free. It’s as if I have been tele-ported to the horizon – am at one with the colours, the sound of the sea, the light etc. It’s so intense and wonderful that I have to do painting everyday.
In fact, behind me as we speak (well, write) I have a large desk with hundreds of colored pastels and another mountain landscape on the go.
It’s about surrender. It’s about letting go. It’s about fully committing. It’s about opening up to a much bigger picture. Yes, flow is good – very good.
I encourage all of the flow-sters reading your post to find and embrace flow in whatever they do.
Best, and off to paint – Robin
Robin Dickinson´s last blog ..Effective tweets: featuring Annabel Candy
Robin, doing artwork or painting is perfect for tapping into a state of “flow”. I actually was an art major in college when I first started so I found myself getting into that state of flow many many times. I think losing oneself in art is a beautiful thing and I’m glad to read you do that often.
Dayne
Wow, Dayne.
So when do we get to see some of that artistic flair flow onto this blog?
Best of life, Robin
Robin Dickinson´s last blog ..Absolute power: motivation that moves mountains
Well Robin, not sure exactly. I may be able to weave some stuff in down the road, or maybe create a separate website. For now though, my focus is in solid content.
Great article. In my experience, the way to get into feeling of flow is to let go–let go of the mind and thoughts and emotions–and what’s left is a natural flow. Thanks for the insight!
Kaushik´s last blog ..Our Days of Discontent
Fantastic article summarising flow, and giving advice how to achieve it.
I’ve known about the concept for quite some time now, but have always found it really quite difficult to totally lose myself in something – my attention is always distracted elsewhere, or I think there must be something better to do so I end up hopping around never getting involved in anything. Modern day’s ADD, I’m sure.
But I recently was doing some work for a friend, editing his book – and I realised that, for the first time in years, I had completely and utterly lost track of time, 3 hours in fact, without wanting to do anything different. So by editing – cutting out words which didn’t add value to the story, and concentrating on understanding the storyline, plus using a skill, explaining/teaching the friend about the edits I’d made, and helping someone out – provided a huge amount of enjoyment. I’d found flow!
And since then, I seem to be able to get into the flow all the time once more – riding a bike (as you say) with the wind in my hair, chopping ingredients up and cooking meals for friends, and concentrating on what I’m doing in the present. It’s like the switch has been flicked!
Thanks for more suggestions as to how – I need to be able to find this flow in work now, but I’ve not got the direction or focus that I feel that I need. So I’m working on that, and will take your advice on board and put it into practice this week.
Kaushik – You said it perfectly, let go and let flow take over.
AP – Thanks for commenting! I think once you have tapped into flow a few times you learn how to drop into that state more often…and I think you have learned this after reading what you said in your comment.