10x your flow states
By making work meditation..
Flow,
If you ever entered it, you know how powerful & valuable it is.
Time slows down or fades away,
Your sense of “self” almost disappears,
It’s like you’re watching your self work as a fly on the wall.
Inspiration, creativity & joy seem to flow effortlessly
Story time:
I used to play this game,
Its name was “Battlerite”, a 2v2 arena brawler
I was top 50 in Asia, and it was the ultimate flow enabler
I would gently sink into this flow state,
And my skill would 5x, I’d be playing FAR beyond my usual capability,
"I" wasn’t doing anything, yet all was happening automatically & beautifully
Each decision was perfect,
Each action had zero wasted movement
It was incredible
It showed me the power of DEEP flow
Honestly, I’ve never reached that level of flow in other endeavours
It’s possible though
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (an expert on flow) says:
"Flow is being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away.
Time flies.
Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you're using your skills to the utmost."
Learning to access this state can massively increase our productivity
It’s also one of the most psychologically satisfying states to be in
It is very close to the “mystical” experience,
Why?
Because, as discussed last week,
Your sense of self is greatly reduced
Any time this happens, magic tends to occur
Here’s how I regularly enter flow:
1. Master attention -
Your attention will get pulled away by the myriad distractions of the modern age
Treat this the same as you would in meditation
Notice, release, relax, return, repeat
Every distraction will create tension in your nervous system
That’s why relaxing is a vital step
Over the course of a 1-2 hour deep work session (or the day)
That tension can accumulate, leaving you frazzled & fatigued
Do this correctly, and you can gently return to the task at hand
This is the same process as meditation,
In fact, if you do this, you’ll find meditation a lot easier too
2. Limit distractions -
I have a second monitor, I often have Mid Journey (V5 just released!), crypto charts & Twitter open
Great ways to get distracted
Close it all down
(Perhaps ChatGPT for research is ok)
3. One thing, one thing only
Dedicate the entirety of your being to the task,
Imagine that this is the only thing in the world right now..
You’ve just discovered some hidden tome, a secret map, some ancient knowledge..
Whatever it may be
Frame it correctly in your mind so you can dedicate your whole being to the task at hand
THIS is your life’s work
Right here, right now
4. Look at everything, look at nothing
One characteristic of flow for me is this:
Your gaze softens,
You look roughly at the centre of your monitor,
But you’re also aware of everything in your peripheral vision
Looking at everything, but nothing at the same time
It just feels like a “bubble” of awareness
Try this next time you do some deep work
There are other factors as well:
- Coffee/Caffeine
- Music (lofi hip hop for me)
- Making sure no one interrupts you
etc
Let me know in the comments if any of these tips helped you
I’m curious to hear your thoughts & experiences
If you have any tips, let us know below:
