Go with the Flow @ Work

Put simply, it’s a state of mind?we?achieve when?we’re fully immersed in a task, forgetting about the outside world?-?a concept proposed by positive psychologist?Mihály Csíkszentmihályi.

When?we’re in the state of Flow,?we:

1. Focus on the task at hand
2. Other issues are secondary?
3. Time?becomes immaterial?
4. Happiness surrounds us?
5. Creativity and Productivity enhances

One thing I love about Flow is that it takes?us?being completely in the moment, and applies it to work tasks. Being in the moment, focusing completely on a single task, and finding a sense of calmness and happiness in our work.

How to achieve flow and happiness in our work?

So,?how do?we?achieve this mystical state of being? Do?we?need to?meditate?or chant anything??Although meditation can improve our ability to concentrate?and Flow is anything but mystical — it’s very practical, and achieving it isn’t?mystical or?mysterious.

It can take practice,?with it, we can?get better at it. Here are the key steps to achieving and benefiting while Going with the Flow:

1. Do What We Love

If?we?dread a task,?we’ll have a hard time losing ourselves?in it. If our job is made up of stuff?we?hate,?we might want to consider finding another job. Or consider seeking projects?we?love to do within our current job. At any rate, be sure that whatever task?we?choose is something?we?can be passionate about.

We must understand that we can only succeed in our lives when we do things that we love. Without passion, life becomes a burden. We may make a little lesser money in the careers that we love but that is only ladder to achieving happiness in our lives and future lies in doing things passionately.?

2. Identify Peak?Performance Time

First,?we’ll want to find a time that’s quiet. Else, we shall never be able to focus. For me, that’s mornings, before the hustle of everyday life builds to a dull roar. That might be early morning, when?we?just wakeup, or early in the work day, when most people haven’t arrived yet or are still getting their coffee and settling down. Or?in the late evenings, when?most?people are?gone from the office. Evenings work well too for many people.?

If?we can manage,?we?can do it at any time of the day if?we?can find a quiet spot to work in. Whatever time?we?choose, it should also be a peak energy time for?us. Some people get tired after lunch — that’s not a good time to go for Flow. Find a time when?we?have lots of energy and we can concentrate.

3. Keep Distractions?Aside

Besides?finding a quiet time and?a quite?place to work,?we have to make sure that we are not mentally occupied or distracted for any reason whatsoever. Creativity and flow don’t occur while one is occupied or distracted. We have to be at peace, focused and at our best when we want to be productive.??

This?means turning off distracting music (unless?we?find music that helps us focus), turning off phones, email and?cellphone notifications or?anything else that might pop up or make noise to interrupt our thoughts. I also find it helpful?when?my workspace is decluterred?even if that means?removing miscellaneous papers into a folder to be sorted through later. A clear desk helps immensely.

4. Enhance the?Focus?Span

Constant Focus and?Multitasking?just cannot go hand in hand.?Multitasking seems like a great way to get a lot done at once. But research has shown that our brains are not nearly as good at handling multiple tasks as we like to think they are?in?fact,?researchers suggest that multitasking can actually reduce productivity by as much as 40%.

One?needs?to start on?his/her?tasks?and keep?focusing on it for as long as?one?can. At first, many people will have difficulty, if they’re used to constantly switching between tasks. But keep trying, and keep bringing focus back to our tasks. We’ll get better. And if we can keep our focus with no distractions provided our tasks have been chosen well (something we love, something important, and something challenging), we should be able to lose ourselves in Flow.

5.????Big?Motivation?Helps

To stay focused and in flow, we need to be fully?motivatated. It?is essential to staying satisfied with our work. Without it,?we risk becoming disengaged, like 70% of the employees surveyed by Gallup.?We’ll merely go through the motions, never fully invested.

Motivation can be intrinsic (from within) or extrinsic (from outside ourselves). Several factors can contribute to our motivation levels, and they can affect our productivity, dedication and commitment to work and success. Understanding the different motivations can help us apply valuable lessons to our personal and professional lives.

Wrap Up

To wrap it up, let’s recall a great saying by?Lao-Tzu:??“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like”.??No matter how much structure we create in our lives, no matter how many good habits we build, there will always be things that we cannot control — and if we let them, these things can be a huge source of anger, frustration and stress.?The simple solution:?Learn to go with the flow.

As per?Thich Nhat Hanh:?“Smile, breathe and go slowly.”??E.g., let’s say?we’ve created the perfect peaceful morning routine.?We’ve structured our mornings so that?we?do things that bring?us?calm and happiness. And then a water pipe bursts in our bathroom and?we?spend a stressful morning trying to clean up the mess and get the pipe fixed. So, staying flexible and going with the flow in life is probably the best idea one can have.

Suggested Reading:?Zen Habits

About the Author

Muhammad Sajwani?is the Founder and Managing Director of?Evolve HR?which aims at transforming,?enriching and evolving Human Capital of Pakistan,?Evolve HR thrives in challenging assumptions that hinder organisational aspirations, by creating innovative solutions that yield maximum impact, scalability & benefit to a wider base of stakeholders.?As a Business Coach and Organisational Consultant, Sajwani knows how to combine business insights with people insights to transform organisations and put them on the path to growth.?

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