Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
ISBN: 978-0-06-133920-2
You’ve probably heard of “flow state” or the idea of someone entering “flow state.” It’s usually discussed as occurring among high performers like athletes, musicians, artists, and other builders and creatives when they are completely focused on their craft. An athlete can enter this state when they are in the middle of a game, a painter in their studio with all distractions removed, an author deep into writing the next great American novel. This concept of “flow state” refers to that deep enjoyment, creativity, and total involvement in the moment they’re in or the puzzle being solved.
In his book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, author Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi discusses the optimal situation for someone who wants to achieve this mindset. The concept of flow refers to the ongoing balance between boredom and anxiety, and it can occur no matter the work being done or the problem being solved. Humans require some level of challenge; otherwise, there is a lack of will to perform a task. If a task is too easy, people become disengaged because they are bored. If a challenge is too great, anxiety and fear can kick in. In between, you find flow.
Once a person finds that point in between boredom and anxiety, other factors lead to a true flow state. Projects that are too nebulous, in which clear goals are not available, can induce anxiety even if the challenge is not too great. Personally, I’ve avoided some projects and turned down some freelance work where the potential client could not clarify the true scope of the project. When you freelance for a while, you can see these types of clients from a mile away. Even if the project ends up as something completely simple, like a basic Web site or a couple of videos for a training course, the trouble of dealing with someone who cannot contain the scope of a project is not worth the hassle.
This book isn’t an easy read – it can be somewhat academic at times. While there was a lot of great information packed inside this book, you may want to read some sections multiple times to make sure you catch everything that the author is trying to explain. Also, I wish there had been more examples of the highest performers and how they achieved flow in their careers. The concept of being in flow state was well discussed, but the pathway there was missing from this book, for the most part. Perhaps the author did not think a discussion of the pathway to flow was within the scope of the book.
Overall, 7/10, would recommend to anyone looking to more deeply understand the concept of flow and the requirements needed to enter what’s commonly referred to as “flow state.” Flow can be achieved with both mental and physical challenges – this is why the concept of “flow state” is discussed with both athletes and creatives. These people are doing something that is both challenging and that they enjoy, be it dominating an opponent on a field or dominating a competing company. Flow is achievable by anyone, depending on the task at hand. If you can find that balance between boredom and anxiety in the work that you do, you might just achieve flow.