Have you ever been so absorbed in a task that time seemed to disappear and everything just clicked? That’s the magic of “flow”—a concept developed by Professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who found that the world’s top performers regularly tap into this state to achieve their best work.



What is Flow?
Flow is that sweet spot between anxiety and boredom. If a task is too challenging for your current skills, you’ll feel anxious and frustrated. If it’s too easy, you’ll quickly get bored. The aim is to find a balance—where your skills and the challenge at hand are perfectly matched, keeping you engaged and energised.

The Eight Dimensions of Flow
Csikszentmihalyi identified eight key characteristics that signal you’re in a flow state:

• Deep concentration: You’re fully absorbed, with no room for distractions.
• Clear goals and immediate feedback: You know what you’re aiming for and can see progress as you go.
• Altered sense of time: Hours can feel like minutes.
• Intrinsic motivation: You’re driven by enjoyment, not just external rewards.
• Sense of control: You feel confident and in command, without forcing it.
• Challenge-skill balance: The task is just difficult enough to keep you interested.
• Effortless action: Everything feels smooth and automatic.
• Merging of action and awareness: You lose self-consciousness and become one with the activity.

How Can You Find Your Flow?

• If you’re feeling anxious, break tasks into smaller steps or seek extra support and guidance.
• If you’re bored, add new challenges or set more ambitious goals.
• If you’re already in flow, take note of what got you there so you can repeat it.

The goal isn’t just to experience flow occasionally, but to design your work and life so you can spend more time in this optimal state—boosting your performance, creativity, and satisfaction.

Reflect on your recent experiences with flow and jot down your thoughts below.

Questions to Consider:

• When was the last time you felt “in the flow”? What were you doing and how did it feel?
• Think about a recent project—where would you plot yourself on the flow graph (anxious, bored, or in flow)?
• What are two ways you could move closer to flow next time? (For example, if you felt anxious, could you get clearer goals or more support? If you felt bored, how might you increase the challenge?)

Take a moment to reflect—your next flow state could be just around the corner!

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