Go with the Flow

"When a great athlete gets into a state of flow," wrote Sam Anderson in his New York Times article on former basketball star, Bill Walton, "There is this special feeling of control — he becomes free of the normal looming dread that haunts human existence, the knowledge that we are just blown around by the random winds of good and bad luck until we die. Inside the special parameters of flow, he is in charge; everything glows with meaning."

I love this passage, with one glaring exception: it can apply to any human being who experiences the flow state.

Earlier today, I entered this state. After a full day of skiing, we were coming down the mountain from 10,000 feet to the 7,000-foot base. As we descended, the temperatures climbed and the snow got softer and more forgiving. I entered a somewhat steep mogul field (i.e. large bumps of snow everywhere, or "interference patterns" as one local writer calls them).

Uncharacteristically, I accelerated into the bumps. I had a fleeting thought: this is the way my 16-year-old son skis, not me. Then all thoughts disappeared. I flew through the bumps effortlessly.

This is flow... you become confident, self-assured, and utterly focused on one thing.

Here's my advice for a career: pursue the flow state with everything you've got.

In my limited experience, flow is a by-product of two different elements: mastery and focus. To stick with a skiing example, I've never come across a beginner skier in a flow state; they are too busy trying to avoid injury. First, you have to get good at something; only then does it become possible for you to display effortless expertise doing it.

But as you gain mastery, it becomes possible for you to become so immersed in your work - or play - that you forget everything else.

Not only is flow a blissful experience, but it also is a sign that you are on the right track. You are getting so good at something that you can follow that skill far above the normal human existence.

Even better, flow is addicting. It makes you want to get even better. It motivates you to practice, study, stay in shape and reach higher.

In addition to skiing, I sometimes manage to experience the flow state when writing. In fact, the more I've pursued writing as my sole career, the more often I've experienced flow. Not coincidentally, as this has happened, my writing career has flourished.

How about you? What's your ticket into the flow state? More importantly, how are you connecting this to your career?

To learn more about flow, check out Steven Kotler's excellent book, The Rise of Superman.