7 Conditions For Achieving Flow

Hey everyone, I hope you’re having a great week. At the time of writing this, we’re already 13.15% into 2023!

If you’ve lagged on some of your 2023 goals in the first 6 weeks of the year, now is the time to reflect, re-evaluate, and start executing.

I’ve been using Notion to plan all my goals for the year, including key results, and daily practice. It can feel like a bit of heavy lifting at first, but once you have a goal-execution plan, you can easily track how you’re doing. Fitness and finance-related goals especially lend themselves to being quantified, while goals like spending more time with family and friends are a little bit tougher. Find what works for you!

（below content inspired by the book Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life）

On the Importance of Flow

Flow is an incredible state of mind that I'm sure many of you have experienced at some point in your lives. For me, one of the activities that always puts me in a state of flow is downhill longboarding. When I'm flying down a hill, feeling the wind on my face and the rush of adrenaline in my veins, I'm completely absorbed in the moment. It's an incredibly freeing experience, where I feel like I'm one with the board and the road beneath me.

Another activity that helps me achieve flow is reading. When I get lost in a good book, time seems to slip away, and I forget about everything else around me. It's like I'm transported to another world, and I'm fully immersed in the story and the characters.

However, achieving flow isn't always easy, especially in today's world where we are bombarded with constant distractions. It's hard to stay focused when notifications are pinging left and right, and it can be challenging to stay motivated when the task at hand seems overwhelming or confusing.

7 conditions for achieving flow：

1. Knowing what to do.

2. Knowing how to do it.

3. Knowing how well you are doing.

4. Knowing where to go (if navigation is involved).

5. Perceiving significant challenges.

6. Perceiving significant skills.

7. Being free from distractions.

By being mindful of these conditions, we can learn how to enter and stay in a state of flow more frequently, allowing us to be more productive and creative in our work.

To me, achieving flow is about finding that perfect balance between challenge and skill. It's about pushing yourself just enough to feel a sense of accomplishment but not so much that you become overwhelmed. By practicing mindfulness and being aware of our own limitations, we can find that balance and enter a state of flow more easily.