Get More Done by Hacking the Flow State 🎡
Issue #15 : Find the flow, not the motivation.
For several decades, motivational speakers, positivity gurus, and personal development experts have been teaching us about positivity and motivation.
How is that working for you?
How long the effect of positivity lasts?
Can you access this positivity at your will?
Do you have total control over the positive mindset?
How do you harness the positive state of mind?
If your answers to these questions need to be more convincing, I suggest you explore Flow State, also known as "in the zone".
A flow state is where you are fully immersed in something. You experience selflessness, timelessness, effortlessness, and richness in the moment of flow.Â
You are in a flow state when you:
Binge-watch your favorite TV show.
Lose sense of time playing video games or sports.
Go down a rabbit hole online.
Did you experience that you lost the sense of time and effort and the sense of yourself — need for food, bathroom breaks, etc. Because you were in a flow state.Â
That is the flow state.
wouldn’t it be great if you could hack the flow state more often for more productive activities like:
Reading or learning.
Doing deep work.
Creative thinking and problem-solving.
Spending good quality time with friends and family.
Pavlov's Drooling Dog Experiment revealed something we can use to trigger the flow state. Pavlov was ringing a bell in this experiment before offering the food to Dog. After a while, just ringing the bell made Dogs drool. And that became Pavlov's law of classic conditioning.
We can create our version of this bell to quickly and easily flow into the flow state.
Try these tips to hack enduring flow state at your will.
Create a dedicated space, chair, or room (or go to a library) each time you want to read books or learn something; over a period, that place will become your bell to flow into a deep reading and learning state.
Listen to a specific kind of music or playlist, light a scented candle, or turn on a colored light each time you want to do some deep work. Over a period, as soon as you turn on that music, you will be in a deep flow state.
Go to a coffee shop or park whenever you want to do some creative thinking and problem-solving. Soon creative ideas will start flowing as soon as you enter that cafe or park.
The mood is contagious, find and pair with people who put you in a flow state. Talking to a friend, coach, mentor, or colleague triggers a particular flow. Observe and leverage that!
This 2004 TED Talk will be a good watch to learn more about the flow state.Â
May the flow be with you! 😀