You were told so much about how great “flow” feels. But how to notice you’re experiencing flow?
1. Don’t it always seem to go…
I stood at my desk last night and worked on a project which came about quite suddenly. I had done the thinking bit, and worked things out in my head; all that remained now was to prepare, write, and design the materials.
Every time I looked up from my screen to check the time, another 45 minutes had gone. I took a short break and came back to work. Round midnight, the first draft was ready to ship.
This morning, a reply came back: “I’m loving what you’ve done.”
Here’s the good part: I loved it, too.
2. …that you don’t know what you’ve got…
“Flow” is an idea that, when you read about it, you think: “I should be feeling this every time! Everybody should be feeling this all the time!” Unfortunately, not all days will be so amazing.
But for people who do any kind of work – or for those who want to learn more – flow is a great state to be aware of. Your projects can benefit if you – or others around you – can get in the zone more often. And your learning can be enriched by flow, too – you’ll be able to put in more work, and engage with the material more meaningfully.
3. …till it’s gone!
The experience of “flow” doesn’t always allow you to step outside of it and mindfully notice what is happening – you’re meant to be engrossed in whatever you’re doing!
If you’re lucky enough to be able to look out for symptoms, though, this article has a nice list to look out for.
Most importantly (for me at least), it helps to be aware of the list when you’re thinking about learning or work after it happened. It’s important to know what kind of work brought you joy – what sort of learning context made you more engaged. If you want, keep a record. Brag about it and share it with others. If you’re after influence, speak to your teachers / bosses and give feedback: it’s important for them to know that this is how you learn / work better.
Do these signs of flow work for you as well?
Photo by Tamarcus Brown on Unsplash
Wiktor (Vic) Kostrzewski (MA, DELTA) is an author, translator, editor and project manage based in London. When he works, he thinks about languages, education, books, EdTech and teachers. When he doesn’t work, he probably trains for his next triathlon or drinks his next coffee.
BRAVE Learning (formerly known as 16 Kinds) is a lifelong learning and productivity blog. If you enjoy these posts, please check out one of my books and courses.
My recent publications, and my archive, is now all available on my new project: PUNK LEARNING. Hope to see you there!