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Athletes have found it. Factory workers have found it. Homemakers have found it. Have you found Flow?
Psychologist and author Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has spent his career researching what have called “optimal experiences” that are described as having feelings of deep concentration and enjoyment. Studying the activities of tens of thousands of individuals from all walks of life, from all over the world, Csikszentmihalyi has developed an understanding of this phenomenon he calls “Flow”. This Flow state explains why some folks get enjoyment out of life (or at leasts parts of life) when other folks experience drudgery.
We all experience Flow every now and again, but it is those that seem to have figured out how to constantly find Flow that led Csikszentmihalyi to believe that there was something more here. That there had to be something common in these Flow experiences. His best selling book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
Understanding Flow
Very simply put, Flow has been described best by athletes as being “in the zone”. We have all witnessed the athlete who has been “unconscious” as they played, not missing a shot or always with their head in the game. But Flow isn’t just something that athlete’s are able to experience. Based on the research that Csikszentmihalyi and others did over decades, Flow is something that we all have the opportunity to experience during our lifetimes. In fact, many every day activities have the potential to become Flow experiences.
According to Csikszentmihalyi, Flow experiences have certain characteristics in common. These characteristics include:
The goals for the activity are clear. There is no ambiguity about the task at hand. What we hope to accomplish is very clear in our minds.
Feedback is immediate. As we are performing the activity the feedback on our performance (what we are doing and how well) is instantaneous. We don’t have to wait for feedback, allowing us to promptly make corrections as we go and to continue with the activity.
There is a balance between challenges and skills. We are able to perform at our best when our skills are equally matched with the task at hand.
Concentration deepens. We are able to focus exclusively on the activity in which we are involved to the point that we are able to block out everything else around us.
The present is what matters most. As our concentration deepens and we focus exclusively on the task at hand any cares or worries about the future or past fall away as we live in the moment.
Our sense of time is altered. The passage of time doesn’t seem to matter as we are so focused on the activity that hours can pass in what seems like minutes.
There is no worry about failure. When we are so deeply engrossed in an activity and everything seems “right with the world” we know, just know, that we are at our best and we can’t fail. This leads us to higher performance and growth because the fear of failure has diminished.
There is a loss of self (ego). We are so deeply involved that we “lose ourselves” in the activity. The performance of the task becomes the most important thing, not how we are viewed by others.
The most important aspect of a Flow experience is that it should be expansive. When we experience Flow we grow some way as a person. It could be an increase in knowledge, skills or understanding, or it could be that we have a better understanding of the world around us and our part in it.
To me, the reason the that Flow as an idea is so important is that the more we are able to experience Flow, the more engaging and enjoyable life is. Once we have experienced Flow, truly experienced Flow, it becomes addictive. I really think that finding Flow in everyday life is a big part of the real meaning of life that I’ve written about previously. I think once we find a way to experience flow, we need to find a way to replicate it in order to allow us to live a more enjoyable life.
Leader’s Reflection: This is the first in a series of articles about Flow. In future articles I’ll look more closely at Flow, each of the individual characteristics, and how we can use Flow in our leadership practice.
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