Welcome to some additional learning on the skill of Flowing here at 2Time Labs. I’m Francis Wade, and I’ll take you through a mini version of the lessons shared in chapter 16 of my book (Perfect Time-Based Productivity) and the MyTimeDesign Plus+Training.

As you probably know, the Flowing Review was an opportunity to get a quick idea of your current skills. For our next step together, set that aside as we are about to complete a deeper assessment.

A Fresh Definition

First of all, the definition of Flowing I use is no longer taken from the book by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, although that’s where it began. Today, it also combines concepts taught by Anders Ericsson and Cal Newport.

They argued that when you in this state of deep concentration, you need not find it euphoric. In fact, it may be downright unpleasant as you struggle to practice a particular improvement. The challenge you are undertaking may be pinpointed at an area of weakness.

It’s sometimes frustrating to experience the ongoing failure which comes from spending hours on something you don’t do well at all. Add in the presence of a coach who is determined you improve and things can get downright testy.

<gif of someone pushing a weight to the point of failure>

However, the area of Flowing is essential to high performance, whether you are executing a challenging skill or learning how to improve a practice. As such, Flowing is a critical meta-skill for anyone interested in best-of-class performance.

Flowing as a System

The single thing that makes Flowing such a challenge is that it’s actually a complex combination of a number of sub-skills. Getting better, therefore, isn’t a matter of luck or blind persistence.

It’s better to get an understanding of the system operating behind the scenes. That will help you focus on making the smallest changes necessary to get the greatest possible benefit.

How can you gain this knowledge?

In the three sections below (taken from my book) I offer you a way to assess your skills in three parts of a Flow system: Preparing for Flow, Executing Flow and Managing Flow. You’ll find that you are already doing some of these skills, so the idea isn’t to latch on to the first improvement you find. Instead, complete the entire assessment and then make a plan based on the whole system you are currently using for Flowing.

1. Preparing for Flow

 

More to come…