1: Psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi’s believed he discovered the “secret to happiness.”
He labeled it “the flow state.” It’s when we are completely absorbed in an activity. Also known as being “in the zone,” we lose our sense of time. Our actions and awareness become one in which we have a heightened sense of control.
We enter the flow state through as part of a four-step process. So far this week, … continue reading
1: We’ve all experienced the joy of “being in the zone.”
We’re entirely focused on the task at hand. We have a heightened sense of clarity and creativity. We’re focused, deliberate, intentional. Time slows down. There’s a sense of peace and a feeling of being in control.
The psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi first coined the phrase “flow state” in 1975. Mihaly, known as the “father of flow,” defines it as “a … continue reading
1: Perhaps we’ve been there.
A “peak experience.” Sometimes called “Being in the Zone” or a “Runner’s High.” That feeling of “being unconscious.”
The scientists call it “flow,” or being in a “flow state.”
It’s the mental state when we are fully immersed. Energetically focused. Total concentration. Complete absorption. Time seems to melt away.
Being in flow is one of the secrets to peak performance. So, if we want to … continue reading
1: Many people are naturally “Either/or.”
“Either extroverts or introverts, competitive or cooperative, smart or naïve,” Steven Kotler writes in The Art of Impossible: A Peak Performance Primer.
However, people with long-term careers requiring creativity are not built this way.
Creatives are often “Both/and.”
“Creative people show tendencies of thought and action that in most people are segregated,” psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi writes in his masterwork, creativity. “They contain … continue reading
1: Lumberjacks.
The researchers divided this ferociously independent group into teams. “Some teams were told to work smart and fast, but no pressure, do your best,” writes Steven Kotler in The Art of Impossible: A Peak Performance Primer.
“Others were given quotas. This much wood for a good week of work, this much wood for a great week,” he writes. “It’s important to note that there was zero financial … continue reading
“I love molecules,” explains Marcus. “You apply a certain amount of heat and a certain amount of pressure and you know exactly what is going to happen. At the start of my career I did great with molecules. But now I work with people. People are unpredictable. You apply a certain amount of heat and a certain amount of pressure, and you never know what’s going to happen.”
Yesterday, we … continue reading
That’s one of the more surprising facts Shawn Achor shares in his terrific book on positive psychology, The Happiness Advantage.
Knowing the right thing and doing the right thing are… two different things.
Aristotle tells us: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
So, how do we create good habits?
One strategy involves what Shawn refers to as “activation energy.” The key … continue reading
