FLOW Book Review.

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, written by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, describes a state of heightened focus and happiness in people’s lives where they are completely absorbed in a task and forget about time, hunger, and their surroundings. In this wonderful moment of flowing attention, the mind is completely free from external distractions and operates at a high level of efficiency and creativity.

This state of complete concentration, called “flow,” does not come about suddenly; rather, to create it, the difficulty of the task at hand and the person’s skill level must be in perfect harmony. If the task’s challenge is beyond the person’s skill level, a sense of stress will arise; on the other hand, if the person’s skill level is beyond the challenge, a sense of accomplishment will arise. When the two are perfectly aligned, however, that state of heightened focus and achievement will be created.

There are key characteristics that help us identify and live this state in our lives. First, we need to have clear goals that show us what needs to be done in the process; then, just like when we play music or write, we need immediate feedback that shows us that the work is being done correctly. The core message of “Flow” is to work with great joy, where self-reflection and external fears disappear, and where we experience a sense of self-forgetfulness and deep freedom.