We have all been in situations where everything just seems to flow.
In my work, as I drive a lot, I try to make use of this time by listening to audiobooks and podcasts. One of the recent audiobooks was on the topic of flow.
I am not sure a flow state is possible all of the time.
It would be nice to turn any task into something enjoyable, perhaps some people experience this. I know there are some tasks I do that I enjoy much more than others - the fun ones are when time flies.
The audiobook listed eight factors that are critical to experiencing a flow state. As a list, they seem quite obvious. The trick is to experience them all simultaneously, which is a bit more difficult.
The first tenet of obtaining this state is having clear goals. We all have goals, but whatever activity you are undertaking has to resonate deeply within you.
This is why it's imperative to have crystal clear goals, and you need to know why they are important.
The second aspect of flow is closely connected to the first one. You need to know at any given moment whether this particular task is a stepping stone in the achievement of a bigger goal.
It may well be a task seems unrelated and not that much fun, but once this box is ticked, it allows time and space to do something else that correlates more closely.
The third step is to be do something challenging. We all start off not knowing what we are doing, we learn by instruction and guidance, but mainly by making mistakes, and learning from those errors. Mastering a new skill is very satisfying, internally and externally.
The fourth component is a feeling of focus and concentration. I am sure we have all experienced situations where time has just passed in an instant. You have your head buried in something and hours go by in seemingly minutes.
The fifth part is that everyday frustrations and issues blend into the background. So much so, that you don't even think about them when you are in a flow state.
The feeling of being in control is the sixth stage of being in flow.
I was talking about this exact thing to a mate of mine recently. They are in the full swing of harvest but he said even though there were a couple issues that could have come up that day, he knew it would be OK, and it was. He alway felt in control.
The seventh part of flow is the loss of ego. This essentially means we don't really care what other people think of our actions, as we are on a roll. In reality, other people aren't thinking about us very often - it's just our perception.
The final component has been mentioned a few times, and this is the sense of time standing still. The day or week passes very quickly.
All of the components that make up flow do seem quite obvious at first glance, and they are. But being purposeful about wanting to be in a state of flow is a good goal to have. Being in this state more often will assist in all areas of your life.
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