When flow happens, things are good

Have you ever had the chance to watch a child play? Really play, with all their toys engaged in a story and doing all the voices that go with the characters? Completely lost to the world and engrossed in the game they were playing and oblivious to the world around them? THAT is flow: being fully engaged and focused, without having to make an effort.

Have you ever experienced flow yourself? You may have done it without even realising that this is what it was. Tell-tale signs are a sense of timelessness, a joy of achievement, ease of advancement and an incredible focus on what you do at that particular point in time. It may have happened at work, when a project took your full attention and before you knew it the day was over. Or you were working in your beloved garden and when you got a little hungry you found that the day was nearing its end.

It’s interesting to note that children seem to be able to get into flow much easier than adults and I believe that there is a lesson in this for all of us. Children worry less about the future, about that promotion, what others think, how much we can show off to others, etc. That’s not to say that those ideas don’t exist from a young age: they are simply not important enough to have an impact on their experience of life.

Coming back to me and you, we are surrounded by situations where we worry about everything and while flow can still happen, it often involves a good bit of conscious effort to rid ourselves of what stands in the way, and only then can we allow ourselves to sink into that state of flow. Suffice it to say, it does not happen at all for many people, and if it does it’s usually short-lived.

Sometimes decluttering can get you into that state of flow as it is a fairly involved process that requires focus and micromanagement, both of which form a form of groove that allows the mind to roll on without too much thinking about anything else. And while taking lots of decisions can be emotionally taxing, it works wonders for focus on ONE task.

The amazing thing is this: once you find that groove, drop into the flow, remain focused or whatever you like to call it, things become a lot easier. It feels as if the breaks have been taken off and there are no limits to what you can achieve. I believe that part of this magic is the fact that ‘in flow’ you simply do not consider any limits, you just are where you are and get on with the activity at hand.

You’ll find that not only things are much easier to achieve, but it will take longer for you to get tired of a task, you’ll be more resilient, you can do things you thought you weren’t capable of. Next time you start a task that needs your full attention, maybe begin with forgetting about any distraction and other demands by means of a breathing exercise or a short meditation and THEN launch into your activity. I’m sure you’ll be done faster and you’ll be happier about it.

If you have enjoyed reading this, you may find these other articles interesting:

• suddenly finding emotional items - continuing the flow
• Floor space
• Distractions