The Eight Major Components of Flow

Here is a Wiki briefing on a concept that is the focus of Mihaly Csikszentmihályi‘s eponymous book, published in 1990. “In positive psychology, flow, also known as being ‘the zone,’ is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, total involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by complete absorption in what one does.

“Named by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi [pronounced “ME-high CHEEK-sent-me-high”], the concept has been widely referenced across a variety of fields (and has an especially big recognition in occupational therapy), though the concept has existed for thousands of years under other guises, notably in some Eastern religions. Achieving flow is often colloquially referred to as being “in the zone.”

“Flow shares many characteristics with hyperfocus. However, hyperfocus is not always described in a positive light. Some examples include spending “too much” time playing video games or getting side-tracked and pleasurably absorbed by one aspect of an assignment or task to the detriment of the overall assignment. In some cases, hyperfocus can “capture” a person, perhaps causing them to appear unfocused or to start several projects, but complete few.”

For those who are curious, flow is so named because, during interviews that Csíkszentmihályi conducted in 1975, several people described their “flow” experiences using the metaphor of a water current carrying them along.

These are the eight major components:

1. We must believe that we have a chance of completing the work.

2. We must be able to concentrate on the task and not be distracted by environmental factors [i.e. in workplace or at home] that are not important.

3. We must have clear goals.

4. We need immediate feedback on our performance.

5. There must be a deep and effortless involvement with the work.

6. We must feel a sense of control over our actions.

7. One of the more interesting aspects of optimal performance is that when we are at our best, we have no awareness of ourselves.

8. When we enter into the flow, how our brain processes sensory data is altered.

Examples: Tiger Woods seems to sink every putt during the final round of the Masters tournament, Michael Jordan seems to make every three-point shot during the fourth quarter of a playoff game, Jackson Pollock once worked almost non-stop for 36 hours on a painting…you get the idea.

Those who wish to explore the subject in much greater depth are urged to check out Csíkszentmihályi’s Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (1990) and Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise (2016), co-authored by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool.

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