State of flow. Aha. What a fancy term.. It means nothing more than being in balance – doing exactly what is needed to be done with just enough effort. Not too much, not too little.
Creativity runs freely, boredom and anxiety are each on the end of the stick in equilibrium – far away from you located in the middle – mental blocks dissolve, time and energy is used wisely and progress is being made.
It’s the thing that gives you the excitement in the morning for a new day, ready to jump out of bed and get back to business – which feels much more like a hobby.
It’s the feeling we had as a child; in constant awe, present in the now, fascinated and in love with life.
So you see, it’s a pretty desirable state of being. Things seem to flow freely and nothing seems to be too big of an obstacle.
It’s a sacred place to be in. Dreams turn into reality, ideas flow, the right action is being taken and success finds you. Ayy, are we in dream land? If you want, most definitely: yes. haha
Before we get into ways to increase your chance for reaching a state of flow, let’s talk about multitasking for a second…
Isn’t that the solution for getting more done? Very clear: no!
Multitasking
Multitasking. People act like it’s a super power. Super heros are invisible, can fly, carry cars, immortal, run faster than a speeding car, … and humans – well we brag being able to multitask. Just joking. Well not really, because the last years it really seems to be gotten a trend – the more, the faster, the better.
STOP!
You are doing more damage than good. Multitasking actually decreases productivity. By 60%. Wow right?
This not only makes it impossible to reach a state of flow, but also significally reduces creativity.
So we do we do it? Honestly, there are no positive aspects. We should look for another super power 🙂
11 ways to increase your chances to reach a state of flow:
1 >> Stay offline first and last thing of the day
Allow yourself to have some offline time.
Challenge yourself to not look at a screen for 1st hour upon waking. Same for the last hour before going to bed.
It might help to leave your phone outside your bedroom.
2 >> Turn off your phone before achieving flow
If you took out some time to work on something that matters to you and are ready to give it all your attention, make sure you will be able to stay in that state for as long as you want without being pulled out by things around you.
Limit all distractions. Turn off your phone, silence your computer, let people know you will be unavailable for a certain time, …
3 >> Technology fast
If possible, turn all technology off for 1 day per week. It may seem crazy at first – what to do without the laptop, phone, ipad, TV, …. but it is so beneficial to connect with yourself and the people around you.
You will realize how much time all of the sudden you have to your hands. Use it wisely – move your body, cook some delicious food, read, set some new goals, talk to actual human beings sitting next to you, …
4 >> Go to cafe without wifi
Have you seen one of those chalk boards in a cafe that says: We don’t have wifi, actually talk to each other!
I love those things
5 >> Read and respond to mail only 1-2x per day
Define times and stick to it.
6 >> 25 min work, 5 min rest
We get distracted so easily these days: a notification here, a message there, a sound here, and a reminder there. Designate your full attention to one task only for a certain amaount of time.
Let’s make this fun. Get a kitchen timer and set it to 25 minutes. Commit to working on a single task for as long as it’s running. Afterwards have a short break and do it again.
7 >> Start work session with ritual you enjoy and end with reward
Still this should be fun and enjoyed. Choose things that make you happy
8 // Work in a space without getting distracted
9 >> Divide each activity into groups of related tasks
and assign each group it’s own place and time
10 >> Bundle routine tasks
Bundle routine tasks such as making phone calls or listening to voice messages and do them all at once
11 >> Know your why’s
As excited we might be in the beginning, there will be times we doubt our decisions, especially when things don’t go as we would have liked. During those times it is especially important to know your why’s: why did you start? why do you want this? why was this a good idea? why shouldn’t you quit? …
Ps: In another blog post I have talked about how a state of flow is connected with goal setting. Why it is important. And why it should scare you a little.
Ready to delve into making your dreams a reality? I am 🙂
See you on the dreams-do-come-true-cloud,
Sarah
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Goal setting – why it’s important