Finding Flow đ§
A few months ago, I took a few weeks off and went to France.
It was a great chance to reset, and I spent some time rereading one of my favourite books - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyiâs Flow.
Mihaly is one of OGâs of positive psychology, and was the first to research âflow statesâ. I havenât read it in about 10 years, so I found it refreshing to revisit from a new perspective.
What is Flow?
âThe term âflow stateâ describes a mental state in which a person is completely focused on a single task or activity. They are directing all of their attention toward the task, and do not experience many thoughts about themselves or their performance. Some people refer to this informally as being âin the zone.ââ
This chart sums things up pretty effectively - it shows a âflow stateâ exists when a person is engaged in an activity that is challenging enough to not be boring, but not TOO challenging that they become anxious.
There are eight characteristics of a flow state:
Complete concentration on the task
Clarity of goals and immediate feedback
Transformation of time
The experience is intrinsically rewarding;
Effortlessness and ease
A balance between challenge and skills
Losing self-conscious rumination
A feeling of control over the task
Mihalyâs Own Words:
The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times⌠The best moments usually occur if a personâs body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.
- Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Flow From Music đš
Stereotypically, flow states are often achieved through creative pursuits such as art or music.
Luckily for me, music is how I earned my living for many years, and I spent much of my teenage and early 20s unknowingly achieving flow states while being paid to do so.
I started my career during the height of mashup culture - when acts like Girl Talk and DJ AM dominated nightclubs. It was an exciting era of genre-bending creativity that celebrated a blending of styles and allowed me to be extremely creative. At this particular time, there seemed to be no rules - throw any kind of music together and make new things happen - perfect.
This was further celebrated by events like the Red Bull Thre3style battles (like the ones I participated in and even won), which allowed me to push my own limits and be creative.
The work was inspiring, and I found myself perfectly balanced between the level of challenge I faced and skill required, so every work night was a 3-4 hour flow-state without fail.
As time went on, my flow states became less frequent. This may have been because I started playing at more exclusive VIP clubs or, potentially a broader shift towards VIP culture in general, but the essence of crafting an exceptional musical journey became overshadowed by the desires of VIPs and big spenders. Additionally, the rise of streaming platforms seemed to condition people to assume they get their way instantly, often making the DJ a mere jukebox, catering to the highest bidder - usually at the expense of the broader audience.
Regardless - whether it was a mishandling of my brand by putting myself in the wrong rooms, or some other root cause, I went from frequent flow states to becoming deeply stuck in that boredom category.
I didnât feel challengedâŚ
A friend of mine (also a career DJ) summed it up best when he equated a playing a full set to being the equivalent of âwatching paint dry.â
It was too easyâŚI became bored, and in short - it wasnât fun anymore.
Flow states ruined: A real life example đ
Unfortunately, interruptions can also disrupt a flow state - and in the nightclub setting, these interruptions were usually caused by club goers themselves.
Iâll never forget one specific night I was DJâing in Toronto when the LA Clippers showed up to a packed club shortly after midnight. What had previously been an awesome party drastically changed, when the manager came up to me and said:
âThe LA Clippers just got here - do whatever they sayâŚâ
The club as a whole no longer mattered - the priority shifted from creating a great party, to making sure the VIPs felt special.
Of course they didnât care about the success of the club, or the enjoyment of everyone in the room - they were only in town for the night and wanted to make sure they themselves had a great time. And unfortunately, my flow state, and thus, the entire energy of the room suffered as a result.
Reduced to being a jukebox for the big spenders, I eventually got sick of it and, in a subtle act of defiance, played Juicy JâsâWho The Neighboursâ on repeat.
For those who donât appreciate the significance - âWho The Neighboursâ was a popular anthem at the time celebrating Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers - the Los Angeles Clippersâ inter-city rivals.
It was essentially, a giant middle finger to the celebrities in the room. đ
While the crowd as a whole lost their mind and the energy picked back up, a certain star player from the Clippers looked at me in frustration and said âseriously?â
I pointed to the crowd, mentioned that there were unfortunately no popular songs about them, and ignored them for the rest of the night.1 đ¤ˇ
Despite this act of rebellion, it was a blip in an otherwise larger trend, and I began to struggle with DJâing in general.
It became a means to an end - time efficient and financially lucrative, yes, but an extremely draining way to pay for life. Because I was no longer optimizing for flow, but instead, optimizing for $$$, my creative output diminished and ultimately, that entire revenue stream dried up as a result.
Finding flow at workâŚđ§
While rereading this book, I was reminded that âachieving flowâ isnât limited to the creative arts or sports. In fact, the very definition of flow involves dedicating yourself to a worthy challenge - itâs not supposed to be easy.
And if the key to being happy is achieving flow states, it really doesnât matter where or how you achieve them - so long as you achieve them.
I think this is a hugely important fact that most individuals and organizations miss.
Whether by staying constantly plugged in, allowing ourselves to be consistently be interrupted, or âmailing-it-inâ rather than challenging ourselves, weâre potentially self-sabotaging our chance at âfinding flowâ.
Hopefully, individually, and culturally, we can avoid these traps.
The allure of flow isn't just about being in the zone but about seeking challenges that stretch and elevate us - challenges that, hopefully, make us happier and better humans.
Whatever the medium is, there's flow waiting to be found. âď¸
Rapid Updates:
đ The Come Up Update
If you havenât already, check out the most recent edition of the Come Up - an interview with Renga founder Jared Henriques. Jared is one of the most interesting and thoughtful people Iâve met in the past year, and Iâm a big fan of all the work he and his team do.
â°ď¸Presidential Traverse Recap
Last month, I mentioned how Iâve started an initiative to build community through unique events. The first effort bringing a group out to New Hampshire to hike whatâs known as the Presidential Traverse.
Safe to say, it didnât disappoint.
We got every type of weather imaginable, including 80km/hr sideways rain, but the trip as a whole was beyond rewarding, and as you can see from the picture below, we found some incredible views.
đ Marathon Des Sables Update
I mentioned last month I am gearing up for the Marathon Des Sables in 2024 - a week long, 250km+ foot race through the Sahara Desert.
I found it really interesting that after having posted that information, almost all the feedback I received was negative - largely with people commenting it was some combination of stupid, crazy, or insane. đ¤ˇ
đBook Club
I recently started a book club focused on personal development and business.
The goal is to not just read, but discuss and apply the lessons we learn. Too often, we get inspired by a book only to let its insights fade away. This group is about turning those insights into action.
If this sounds up your alley and you're interested in joining, LMK!
Thatâs all for now - have a great month and feel free to reach out.âď¸