10 Steps to Flow - Achieve More and Stress Less

The key to real productivity is getting yourself into a “flow state”. A flow state, as defined by Psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi is an “optimal state of consciousness where we feel our best and perform our best.” More specifically, Steven Kotler the author of Stealing Fire and who has spent years researching flow states calls it, "those moments of rapt attention and total absorption, when you get so focused on the task at hand that everything else disappears. Action and awareness merge. Your sense of self vanishes. Your sense of time distorts (either, typically, speeds up; or, occasionally, slows down). And throughout, all aspects of performance, both mental and physical, go through the roof."

The following 10 tips are designed to support flow state creation by eliminating distractions, organizing your workload, and maximizing your productivity. Goodbye stress, hello flow state success.

1. Prepare Your Space

Your work environment impacts your mood, motivation, and productivity. I recommend starting by embracing minimalism and creating a clean, clutter-free office where you can find what you need, when you need it-- thereby reducing stress and allowing you to focus on the tasks at hand. Minimalism breeds peace of mind and productivity, so leave anything that doesn't serve your creativity and productivity outside your work space. A comfortable and attractive space is also critical-- you have to want to be there and flow states require long-term focus--so it's important that your surroundings be comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. Indulge in an ergonomic chair and a great desk, ensure the thermostat is at a comfortable temperature (or dress in layers), and make sure you have optimal lighting.

2. Organize Your Tasks

There are numerous tips and apps to use in prioritizing your tasks. I love the Google Suite of services because of the seamless integration: Gmail, Tasks, Calendar, Keep, and many more including Project Management tools such as Asana and Trello.

I love a good Project Management application for organizing projects and tasks, keeping deadlines top of mind, and streamlining team communication, but its full potential is only realized when your team, department, or organization utilize it as well. That said, project management apps such as Microsoft Teams, Basecamp, Asana, Trello, or Pronto (a new tool offering free beta testing to interested parties) works great for keeping your projects organized.

If prioritizing tasks is overwhelming, a prioritization matrix can help you identify critical and non-critical items. This approach naturally reduces stress through workload organization-- an important step before you can enter a flow state.

3. Delegate, Delegate, Delegate.

Where you can (tasks that are time-sensitive but not crucial), delegate. The art of delegating is knowing what to delegate (and what not to), to whom, and having systems in place for follow-up and accountability. By removing these non-critical tasks from your plate, you are freeing up time to focus on the critical items that need your attention and making room for flow to happen. Utilize your resources at work (i.e. administrative assistants) where possible. If you don't have, want, or need a full-time assistant, consider hiring a Virtual Assistant on a part-time basis. It is less expensive than you think and can dramatically improve your productivity.

4. Minimize Interruptions

Unless you work in investment banking or in crisis management, turn off ALL notifications. Yes, ALL notifications-- social media, email, and phone. Create uninterrupted time for you to focus on your actual work-- the meat of what you do. Utilize your project management tool to tackle one task at a time.

5. Work in Blocks

Working in 50 or 90 minute blocks-- uninterrupted-- gives you the opportunity to enter a flow state where your productivity and creativity are maximized. This is where time flies, your creativity peaks, more gets done, and it gets done well. Here's how it works:

50-Minute Work Blocks

Work for 50-minutes followed by a 10 minute break. If you work a traditional 9 to 5 day, you could schedule eight 50-minute blocks of time, log 350 minutes of work, and give yourself 130 minutes of break time-- that includes using a 50 minute block and 10 minute break to give you a full lunch hour. Build the blocks into your calendar and set a timer for each work-block and break to keep you on schedule.

90-Minute Work Blocks

A 90-minute work block yields 360 minutes of work in a typical 8-hour day. Using this format, we recommend 30-minute breaks after each work block, giving you 120 minutes of break time that includes a 30-minute lunch. This format is great for developers, artists, writers, researchers, and others whose work benefits from longer periods of focus.

6. Take A Break

What makes the work-block system so effective is the combination of uninterrupted peak performance and the breaks that allow for physical and mental rest. If you adopt the 50-minute work block, use the 10-minute breaks to grab a coffee, drop off paperwork at a colleague's desk, check your social media, or return a phone call. If you adopt the 90-minute work block, the 30-minute break cycle allows you to take a short but adequate lunch break, run an errand, check your social media notifications, respond to emails, or even take your dog for a short walk if you work from home.

7. Cut to the Chase

Be concise. This applies to emails, meetings, phone calls, etc. Often emails, meetings, and phone calls aren't "the meat" of work and interrupt the flow state. However, this doesn't mean they aren't critical to your success and that you shouldn’t observe pleasantries or decorum. Just, cut to the chase. It shows a respect for both your time and everyone else’s. Meetings can and should be built into your work block system-- more on that in a future post.

8. Set Goals

Goals are a motivational force, but they are also the underpinning of flow states. When you are doing something passionately, your brain naturally fixates on the doing. It's therefore important to know what you want out of your career, why, and how you're going to get there. If you don’t know what you want or don't have a strategy to support your professional growth, an executive business coach can help. Perhaps you've achieved everything you wanted, but have become overwhelmed, frustrated, burnt-out, or just disenchanted with your career. An executive business coach is probably the answer then too. An experienced, objective third party can help you sort through the muck and mire, create greater awareness around bad habits, changing priorities, time management issues, and limiting beliefs that may be holding you back from achieving flow and greater success.

9. Say No

When you know what your professional goals are, it becomes easier to discern what is going to move the needle forward. Not every client or project is going to get you where you want or need to be. The best way to get into a flow state is to ensure the work you are taking on is something you are passionate about or leads to something that you passionate about. If you are presented with business opportunities that aren't moving you toward your goals or don't light you up, say no. That can be difficult for business owners and consultants, but it's important to balance financial reward with professional reward. Otherwise, you risk executive fatigue.

If you're a full-time employee, you need to demonstrate a willingness to contribute to the team. However, don't be afraid to voice concerns if a project is outside your wheelhouse or doesn't facilitate your professional growth. A good employer is also a mentor and wants the best out of you and for you. However, full-time employees need to come to the table prepared with diplomatic solutions in order to finesse these situations-- more on that in a future post.

10. Celebrate Success

Stay motivated by acknowledging and celebrating your successes. Most of us have gone to the bar for a celebratory drink with our colleagues, received a congratulatory mention from our executive team, or high-fived each other in a meeting. A better and more effective habit for celebrating your success is writing down daily, weekly, monthly, and annual career wins. This helps you track your professional growth, builds confidence, and develops a habit of gratitude that will permeate every area of your professional life. While you’re at it, write down what you learned from any mis-steps or failures. Failures yield a lot of clarity and more positivity than you might think. It will keep you focused, motivated, and primed for future flow.

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