The 4th and final Psychological flow trigger is The Challenge/Skills Ratio. Flow can be found on the fine line between boredom and anxiety. If what we are doing is too mundane then our focus drops off. This prevents attention and action from taking the stage.
If the struggle is too great then we look to exit, how can we get out? Too much fear may prevent flow. Challenge squashing the skills. The action sports hero’s who are famed for finding flow still have
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Our 3rd Psychological flow trigger highlights the importance of Immediate Feedback in the pursuit of flow. Feedback helps us to focus and make additions to what we are already doing. Correct our form and build on what we have already done.
The clear goals that we have set, are they taking us in the right direction? How can we improve? How can we improve now, in real time. This keeps the mind focussed, rather than searching for cryptic clues that may lead to
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Our second flow trigger also classed as Psychological encourages us to set Clear Goals. We need to know what we are doing and crucially why. What’s the point, what’s the purpose, what does it mean?
Clarity of goal = clarity of mind. The mind can stay focussed, knowing what do do and why. Keeping us present to what is.
As Edward Abbey reminds us “Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul.” These clear goals facilitate action and boost our energy. Don’t wait
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Hopefully you’ve read and watched some of my recent blogs that present the subtleties of optimal performance and the science of flow. The ability to optimise performance by as much as 500% (15% of the time) is mainly activated when we engineer as many of the 17 flow triggers as possible. These triggers are grouped under Psychological, Environmental, Social and Creative factors.
Our first group is Psychological and the Intensely Focused Attention trigger. Top performers have the ability to focus at all costs. Blocking
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Next week I am presenting at a conference with over 250 participants who are keen to foster resilience. A few weeks ago I talked about Jane McGonigal author of SuperBetter (a revolutionary approach to getting stronger, happier, braver and more resilient) and she defines resilience as – ‘your ability to stay motivated, curious and optimistic even in the face of a challenge’. Allowing this definition to set the direction for the session I’ll introduce my resilient audience to a protagonist (role modelling excellence),
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As soon as we mention the word badge it can evoke all sorts of memories and emotions. Early sporting prowess maybe, swimming not sinking. Stitched or pinned, casual or uniform. Many of us collected them, never to be worn. Either too precious, or not within our make up to show off our shiny new friend. But either way they meant something.
Of course the time honoured craft of badge collection is well and truly digital. Metadata that can tell the story,
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Before reading and watching in full I want to you to pause. Reflect on something you enjoy, in or outside of work it doesn’t matter. Something that lives long in the memory, something that you’ve kept up for some time. A hobby, regular task, relationship – anything that you’ve enjoyed and probably excelled at.
Now watch this short vid where I share my example of a running route in Italy, circumnavigating Mont Blanc. See if you can tick off all four factors
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For years I have been promoting the importance of daily activities that energise and help you to achieve flow states more frequently. The intention is simple, commit to daily activities that are deliberate and precise, things that either energise yourself and/or others around you. However, there has always been one barrier to this practice for me. How can I record my progress? Believe me I’ve tried all sorts of methods from old-fashioned pen and paper records to more sophisticated means and back again.
I have finally struck gold.
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Hopefully on reading and watching this posting you won’t end up in A & E. But I do want you to be more accident prone, but I want you to be prone to finding yourself in flow – a state of optimal performance. Check out this vid and a great Zen story that puts this theory to bed.
Whilst shooting this video I must have been in flow because I accidentally came up with the phrase ‘Flow Fit’ to describe a workshop that
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Are you strong at multi tasking? I am, I’ve developed it over the years. So I hope you won’t mind taking a ride in my car. I’ll keep to the speed limits but as a proficient multi tasker I will also be making phone calls, eating my lunch, playing with the radio and picking up my emails. Latest research has shown that being over the legal alcohol limit is actually safer than attempting any of the above. So actually I
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