Flow is characterized as a state of mind in which a person is fully immersed, evoking keen focus, genuine enjoyment, and complete absorption in the task at hand wishing to be accomplished. In short, flow is when you perform your best.

So how can you apply and consistently stay in flow so you too can pursue your work smarter at an even greater level of creativity?

First, and most essential, is to make sure your motivations in performing your task or activity stem from your own intrinsic purposes. Targeting these particular motivations is a major key, yet realistically, it may feel troublesome to fully grasp what exactly are your intrinsic purposes. So to combat your trouble, start by recalling past situations in which you may have experienced something similar to the idea of flow.

Next, give yourself a blueprint to actively remaining in flow by jotting down your goals. Also, don’t underestimate how important it is to track and follow the progress you are making on your goals. By tracking what you ultimately desire to accomplish, you not only gain more clarity and precision in navigating your direction towards achievement, but you also exponentially increase your chances of residing in flow.

Now, after you’ve written out your goals, collect clear and immediate feedback to prevent any potential shortcomings. Yes, receiving feedback generally isn’t enjoyable to say the least, but this necessary feedback awards you the chance to capture overlooked or temporarily unseen opportunities.

Finally, be sure to balance prudently between your own challenges and skills. Unfortunately, imbalances have a strong chance of occurring when a challenge out weights a skill or vise versa, and the problem with an imbalance is the considerable potential they carry through invoking apathy, boredom, or a loss of confidence in your motivation completely. So take a mental note when you’re feeling hopeless or disinterested, and remind yourself to examine the balance of your skills and challenges and adjust accordingly.

This method toward attaining flow can be applied to any goal, task, or activity you’ve been wishing to accomplish. Stay positive and keep it a purpose to work at sustaining flow. Soon enough, that right kind of absolute immersion will occur whether your are goal-chasing or attending to a specific task you personally feel is menial. In the end, when you’re measuring your performance, you’ll be satisfied.

Find your flow.