“Most enjoyable activities are not natural; they demand an effort that initially one is reluctant to make. But once the interaction starts to provide feedback to the person’s skills, it usually begins to be intrinsically rewarding.” — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

You’ve probably heard about being in the state of FLOW, in the ZONE or in the GROOVE, but have you experienced it?

Flow is the state when you’re so completely absorbed, focused, and energized by an activity that you lose track of time.  Achieving a state of flow has shown to increase overall happiness and you get stuff that’s important to you done!   

Who can attain the state of flow?

Anyone… Artists, bakers, knitters, car mechanics, writers, athletes, gardeners, woodworkers, programmers, potters, calligraphers, entrepreneurs, dancers, singers — the list goes on and on.

Flow will, however, not automatically happen.  There are certain mindset and environmental conditions that must be met in order to achieve this optimal state.

In today’s video I go over these four conditions, and as a bonus, I’m share some thoughts from my flowy husband on how he has achieved flow during very mundane activity.

Let’s get you flowing!

1. Pick an activity/project you love and that’s important to you.
2. Make sure the activity is not too easy, and not too challenging.
3. Set a clear intention/goal for your time doing the activity.  Something with immediate feedback is important.
4. Make sure your environment is conducive to getting into the flow: remove physical and emotional distractions, play some music (or if it helps, make sure it’s completely quiet).

Here’s what Maya Angelou shares with us about her writing efforts: “I keep a dictionary, a Bible, a deck of cards and a bottle of sherry in the (hotel) room. I try to get there around 7, and I work until 2 in the afternoon.”  She’s doing something she loves (writing), she has a clear intention each day when she walks in the room, and she’s set up her environment to help her to be completely focused.  

How will try to achieve flow today?

I’d love to hear from you.  Tell me your plan.  I’d also be interested if you have achieved flow, how does it work for you?  What activity are you doing?  What advice would you give from your successes/failures?  Share in the comments below.

As always, thanks for spending some of your precious time with me, here, today.

Jill xx