Flow

“Flow” and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi [the broken link was removed] by David Farmer:

How does it feel to be in “the flow”?

1. Completely involved, focused, concentrating – with this either due to innate curiosity or as the result of training
2. Sense of ecstasy – of being outside everyday reality
3. Great inner clarity – knowing what needs to be done and how well it is going
4. Knowing the activity is doable – that the skills are adequate, and neither anxious or bored
5. Sense of serenity – no worries about self, feeling of growing beyond the boundaries of ego – afterwards feeling of transcending ego in ways not thought possible
6. Timeliness – thoroughly focused on present, don’t notice time passing
7. Intrinsic motivation – whatever produces “flow” becomes its own reward

Books by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi:

• Good Business Leadership, Flow, and the Making of Meaning, 2004.
• Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience,1991. People enter a flow state when they are fully absorbed in activity during which they lose their sense of time and have feelings of great satisfaction. The author, a pioneer in this astonishing field of study, clearly explains the principles of “flow” and shows how it can be introduced into every level of life. (audio tape)
• Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention, 1997. Drawing on hundreds of interviews with exceptional people, from biologists and physicists to politicians and business leaders to poets and artists, the author uses his famous “flow” theory to explain the creative process. Csikszentmihalyi’s objective is to offer readers an understanding of what leads to creative moments so that they can use that knowledge to enrich their own lives.