Mihályi Csíkszentmihályi in his book Good Business: Leadership, Flow and the making of Meaning, (2004), promotes the idea that the state of ‘Flow’ is not relegated to the domain of leisure activities alone; it is in fact very much encouraged to be cultivated in everyday life, even at work.
To generate and maintain a state of Flow certain conditions have to be present. We looked at the first 6 of the 9 factors that encompass this state of consciousness, in previous two posts. Here are the last 3 factors:
7. Self-consciousness disappears.
“The loss of ego. One forgets one’s very self….. the social persona.” On a daily basis we are so pre-occupied with how we appear to others that we are constantly checking ourselves. But when we are totally submerged in an activity that we value immensely, we let go of our ego and become one with the activity, oblivious to the outside world. It is relieving and exhilarating. Others’ perceptions of us no longer matter. The activity itself is all that matters. Have you watched someone bite his lower lip as he furiously solves math problems on an exam? He is utterly absorbed in the activity, relishing it fully. You or anyone else do not matter to him.
8. The sense of time becomes distorted.
“The sense of time is altered…..it resembles the dream state.” Losing track of time is another hallmark feature of being in ‘Flow’. An artist may have started a canvas painting at dawn and before he knows it dusk settles in as the sun streaming through the window is casting shadows in the opposite side of the room. Time flies by. It contracts. A swimmer may experience executing her arm stroke underwater and her flutter kick in slow motion when competing in a freestyle swim meet. Time slows to a crawl. It expands. Time becomes irrelevant when fully immersed in a flow activity. “Speed at which time passes depends on absorption: how focused the mind is. In flow, the sense of time adapts itself to the action at hand.”
9. The activity becomes an end in itself.
Being engaged in an activity for its own sake and not for the expectation of a future reward is the sole purpose. It is called an autotelic experience (autos = self | telos = goal). The whole focus is on sustaining the experience because it is so gratifying in itself. It is intrinsically rewarding. A mountain climber is engrossed in grabbing the next rock, placing a firm foothold, finding an anchor to tie her rope around, climbing, not to reach the top, but because the act of climbing brings unbridled joy to her. The person feels whole, connected to something bigger and having a sense of discovery that fills her with awe. “After the event, a person’s self-esteem reappears in a stronger form.”
By being actively engaged in an activity that is larger than yourself, you transcend individuality. Yet paradoxically you emerge with higher self-esteem. You grow as a person. You lose yourself to find yourself. Being in ‘Flow’ is a priceless gift you give yourself.