Have you ever been so preoccupied and focused on an activity that nothing else matters? In this experience, time seems to slow down and activity becomes effortless. It’s common to access this state while participating in a particularly demanding sport. Many people have also reported entering this state while performing mundane such as weaving, gardening, and stamp collecting. In this state, the person becomes ‘mindless’ and acts without questioning what should be done and how. This ‘mindlessness’ is actually the “flow state” or “the zone”. During this period you do not reflect on your emotional state, think about the past or the future, you become fully present in the moment. Amid some of Micheal Jordon’s most challenging games, he said the basketball net appeared as big a bathtub and couldn’t miss (and didn’t!). MJ’s success lies not only in his extreme competitiveness but also in his ability to quickly and frequently enter the flow state.
We all strive for happiness in our lives and a strong argument can be made that achieving flow epitomizes the facets of happiness. The godfather of creating and finding the optimal experience of flow is Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced “Chick-Sent-Me-High”). He has developed a system of steps utilized to achieve that ‘sweet spot’. Check out his TED talk:
9 Factors of Achieving Flow:
1. It is essential to have well-defined goals for your endeavors. For instance, in sports, goals are inherently embedded, such as scoring and winning. As a trail runner, your objectives might revolve around surpassing your personal best time or maintaining a specific heart rate. Even when engaged in household cleaning, you can challenge yourself by aiming to discover neglected areas using a "CSI" blue light and effectively clean them.
2. Concentration and focus are paramount—a meticulous concentration that hones in on a limited field of attention. When running, you can focus on your breaths and heart rate, attuning yourself to the rhythmic cadence. Or when playing baseball, you can fixate on the delicate nuances of the ball's seams as it spins, just before you take a swing.
3. The absence of self-awareness is crucial, eradicating any inner thoughts of personal concerns or trivial matters like grocery lists or overdue credit card fees. One must not be preoccupied with emotions such as happiness, sadness, or indifference, nor should bodily needs like hunger or fatigue distract from the flow state.
4. A distorted sense of time often accompanies the flow state. You might perceive events unfolding in slow motion, or lose track of time altogether—engrossed in basket weaving for what seems like 20 minutes, only to realize it has been two hours.
5. Striking the right balance is key; the activity must neither be too arduous nor too facile. While a chess grandmaster would unlikely experience flow when competing against my 7-year-old son, the state of flow would likely ensue if the grandmaster were pitted against the mythical prowess of Bobby Fisher.
6. Immediate and tangible feedback plays a vital role in sustaining the flow state. Whether it's striking out in baseball or flawlessly playing a challenging guitar piece, perceiving success or failure in real-time reinforces the flow experience.
7. A profound sense of personal control over the situation or activity is indispensable. Being aware that your actions possess the capacity to make a meaningful impact fosters a heightened state of flow.
8. The activity itself must possess intrinsic rewards, allowing for effortless action. Engaging in artistic creation, traversing your cherished running trail, or conquering the final hole of a golf course—all carry an inherent joy that effortlessly propels you forward.
9. Flow entails complete absorption in the activity, to the point where awareness narrows down solely to the task at hand. For example, skiing down a treacherous double black diamond slope requires absolute focus on the path ahead, leaving no room for thoughts of falling or colliding with obstacles. Not all of these components are needed to enter flow, they are merely indicators that help. If you have ever been in flow you can learn to recreate that sensation. Here is how to do it:
Make sure your activity meets most of these criteria: its’ challenging, intrinsically rewarding, it has a definable goal, it takes deep focus, and has real-time feedback.
Building a physical anchor prior to your activity. Many athletes use music as their anchor. Before a game, an athlete may choose to listen to a specific song and if done successfully with enough frequency this triggers the brain for flow. Other examples of anchors are squeezing your left earlobe, a specific stretch, shadow boxing, reading a passage, a certain food etc. Make sure the anchor is unique enough that it won’t be set off or used at inappropriate times.
Have a clear memory of the flow activity you’d like to recreate.
Close your eyes and visualize the exact thing you’d like to do while simultaneously performing your anchor.
Get in a good posture. The body affects the brain and if you are slouching or breathing badly it will be unlikely you’ll be able to re-create the optimal experience.
The more you practice the better you will get at recreating your optimal flow state and soon enough you’ll be able to do it on demand. Booyah!
Doug Joachim – NYC www.JoachimsTraining.com
