Flow

by Lisa Seppala, True North Implementation

Since moving to a larger space in a unique and vibrant area, I’m finding that I’m curious about a lot more things in my life and work. The energy in this new environment supports my work, especially on the creative front. So much so that I find myself entering that wonderful state of ‘flow’ more often. You know the state where everything else, including time, seems to fall away, and your sole focus is what you’re doing in the moment.

Thinking about the term ‘flow’ got me curious about its meaning from a psychology perspective. Digging deeper into its meaning opened a whole new area for me – the research and writings of Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Dr. Csikszentmihalyi, who passed away in 2021, began his research in creativity in the 1960s and coined the term ‘flow’. He’s also considered one of the co-founders of positive psychology, another area piquing my curiosity.

If you’re not familiar with his work, like me, here’s a quote from one of his books. I’m not a rock climber or a poet, but I find it inspirational, and I hope you do too.

“The mystique of rock climbing is climbing; you get to the top of a rock glad it’s over but really wish it would go on forever. The justification of climbing is climbing, like the justification of poetry is writing; you don’t conquer anything except things in yourself…. The act of writing justifies poetry. Climbing is the same: recognizing that you are a flow. The purpose of the flow is to keep on flowing, not looking for a peak or utopia but staying in the flow. It is not a moving up but a continuous flowing; you move up to keep the flow going. There is no possible reason for climbing except the climbing itself; it is a self-communication.”
― Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Reading this quote made me realize that by staying in the flow and not looking for the finish line, I find that I’m happier, more creative, and more productive because of it. For me, flow is a positive addiction that contributes to better outcomes for my business, health, and life.