Mihaly Robert Csikszentmihalyi was a Hungarian-American psychologist. He recognized and named the psychological concept of “flow”, a highly focused mental state conducive to productivity. He was the Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. (Wikipedia)
A simple definition of being ‘in the flow’ would be total, complete involvement in your current pursuit. You strive towards your goal at an elevated pace with measurable achievements, free from distractions or interruptions.
In his book Flow: Living at the Peak of Your Abilities, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, PhD, outlines a survey he conducted of individuals who had experienced flow and summarized their experiences below.
Eight Major Components of Flow
1. Having an explicit, well-defined activity with a specific goal.
2. You know momentarily if you are moving toward your goal. You receive immediate feedback, which is essential for enjoyment and focus.
3. The challenge of the activity is well matched with the actor’s skill. In competitive activities, your skill is comparably matched with the opposition.
4. You must give the activity your full attention and focus. There must be no interruptions or distractions.
5. For success, one must abandon all other life concerns while in the flow. This creates a new reality and forms an escape.
6. The experience creates a feeling of control. You own your progress and your success.
7. You lose any feeling of self-consciousness. You feel more confident and content with your self-image.
8. You lose any sense of time. Time adapts to the experience.
Examples of people in the flow are common. Sports figures pursuing individual achievements are seeking to topple the previous records. Competitive sports where stand-offs between teams clash for better positioning in the rankings. First responders at the scenes of natural and man-made disasters know that time is of the essence when pulling survivors from the devastation. There are scientific researchers whose goals define products and services as having substantial benefits for humanity. Or it could be you planning, planting, nurturing, and harvesting your garden.
Dr. Csikszentmihalyi has another observation from his surveys and contacts concerning the type of individual most adept at achieving the flow state. These characteristics are summarized below. He refers to them as “the five elements of a complex personality.”
1. Clarity and vision. Knowing what you intend to accomplish, both short-term and long-term.
2. The ability to focus and avoid distractions.
3. Choice is the ability to observe all the possibilities available and find the most motivating.
4. Commitment and caring for your activity.
5. Challenge, fearlessly facing greater difficulties.
When you are in the flow, you are experiencing complete engagement. Your environment will flow with you. You will encounter related elements that will contribute to your pursuit. You are flowing with something already in flow. You get in phase with it. It becomes self-organizing, grows, and takes on a life of its own.
Prior to commenting, please review our privacy policy at: http://findnewcontent/privacy/
