Let us know if this rings a bell. You have been at the task for hours, but it feels like minutes. Your body should feel tired but instead you are just eager to jump onto the next task. It’s easy to focus on your goal and block out all the distractions. That my fellow gentlemen is called the Flow State.
You’ve likely heard the term ‘flow state’ before, but what does it actually mean?
Originally coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. In it, he discusses the concept of ‘flow’ and its benefits. Calling it so because the people he interviewed described this optimal performance as moments where their work quite literally ‘flows’ out easily like water.
To put it simply, the flow state is a mental state of optimal focus and productivity. In other words, your brain surges with energy and your body enters peak performance. When you’re in the flow state, everything becomes easy. You’re so focused on the task at hand that distractions don’t bother you and you’re able to keep working for hours on end without getting tired.
There are many examples of people achieving this zone of peak performance. Athletes often enter the flow state when they’re in the zone. For example, hitting consecutive three-point shots without missing. Musicians can get lost in the music while composing for hours, and writers often report experiencing a flow state while they’re writing.
Here is why the flow state is so important for us gentlemen in the pursuit of success. It is quite apparent that success doesn’t come easy. A lot constant effort is needed to just inch closer to our goals. Inconsistency kills your efforts and stalls progress.
That is why, the flow state, when harnessed properly, is a great tool to boost productivity and help young gents to keep grinding on making their dreams come through.
The benefits of being in the flow state are vast. Here are some of the most notable benefits:
With all the talk about being in the flow state, how do you actually get in the zone? If it is so great, why doesn’t everyone do it.
Chances are everyone has already experienced the flow state at some point in their lives. Be it at work, while playing a video game, a badminton match or even while cleaning their house. However, in most cases, they are involuntary and subconsciously done. The good news is that anyone can enter the flow state with the right tools and techniques.
Lets give you an example. Imagine this situation. You notice that your living room has been in disarray for the past month. Things are where they shouldn’t be and you would love to have a cleaner living room. With that goal in mind, you decide to it clean up on Sunday. Come Sunday, whatever invitations or phone calls come up, you block all the distractions and purely focus on organizing your belongings and taking out the trash. During this, your mind becomes crystal clear on the series of events that needs to occur. It goes like this; get trash bags, put clothes aside, wipe down dirty surfaces, organize my coffee table, remotes, keys, chairs and cushions, wipe the windows and finally get rid of the trash. Your body moves without lethargy and when you are done, you find yourself sitting in a organized and clean living room. You feel ecstatic and genuinely proud of your effort.
Notice the clues on how to achieve the flow state in the example? If you didn’t, that’s alright. We will explain it further below.
Here are 3 basic ways to achieve that peak performance;
Know what you want to achieve and do not deviate from that specific target. Do not make the mistake of adding supplementary side missions like in a video game. Take the example above. In it, we did not deviate from our goals by deciding to do additional tasks like doing laundry or cleaning the toilet. Instead, by staying focused on that single goal, we will be able to achieve it easily without fail.
It should be no surprise that distractions are the mortal enemy to hard work. Unfortunately, distractions also do act as an obstacle to attaining that calm mental faculty necessary to enter the flow state. So in order to induce the flow state, reduce the distractions around you. They come in various forms —music, phone notifications, outside noises, the temperature of the room or even the company of your friends. So set yourself for success by creating a conducive environment.
If the task you wish to accomplish is beyond your capabilities or too difficult, it is hard to achieve the flow state. You cannot get into the groove because of constant roadblocks and you are overstressing over how to complete the task. On the other hand, if it is too simple, it doesn’t represent a challenge and you will get bored. You have to find that sweet spot between comfort and stress to easily enter the flow state.
There are a few common obstacles that can prevent you from achieving the flow state. As mentioned before, too much stress, boredom or distractions can disrupt the flow state. Creating a specific routine catered to your personal liking is very useful when attempting to regularly enter the flow state.
Here are some additional tips about the Flow State.
Sometimes we have done all we can to set the stage, but sometimes you just feel like it is not happening. That’s okay. Don’t overthink it and try to force the feeling you get in the Flow State —in fact, it is counterproductive. It needs to happen naturally and by the time you realize it has happen, you will usually be in the middle of it and reaping its benefits.
Us young men tend to be overzealous and inpatient. Instead of behaving as such, relax and learn to take things one step at a time. Overwhelming yourself with too many tasks at the same time is a recipe for disaster. You may be able to sustain it for a short period of time but eventually, your productivity and quality of work will suffer.
Entering the flow state is much easier when you love what you are doing and not constantly dreading or despising the task at hand. Remember, the flow state is supposed to make you feel euphoric i.e. happy and satisfied, not frustrated and angsty.
The flow state is a mental state where you’re completely focused on the task at hand and everything else fades away. If you follow the fundamental steps, you will be able to frequently enter the flow state. However, as mentioned, there will be days where it is just not happening for you. No matter how much you try or how well you set the conditions, you just find yourself being unable to enter the flow state.
In such cases, you need to pull in upon your discipline and tenacity. Remember, life is not fair. Things don’t always work out. But it is during these challenges that you should push on with determination and discipline, with or without the flow state. Instead, make your goals simpler and build up to bigger tasks. Celebrate the small wins. They will stack up in the end.
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