flow=mojo (thoughts on accelerated productivity)

The flow…the mojo. Do you have it? Have you ever felt it? The flow is something you get when you’re working on a task and time stands still. It’s effortless almost. You’re so immersed in what you’re doing that you forget about time – by the time you come back up you’ve usually have a pretty cool output…it can be magical. And, it can be cultivated. A lot of people wait for a muse or for the perfect moment. Here’s the thing – there are too many distractions these days to not be intentional about getting your mojo going. You following me? You MUST be intentional about getting your game face on. I don’t care if it’s at work or spending time with your loved ones – being intentional is key (yes, that means putting your phone away when you’re having a conversation with someone). I love watching my kids or any kid for that matter – watch a kid play and get immersed in whatever it is their doing. My daughter Reese will spend hours at the craft table coloring or drawing. I love it. It’s the most pure form of focus. I’m afraid we lose that as we get older.

I live for the Flow…I don’t always attain it but I know it when it’s there. I know that there are a couple things that get me there (and I bet you have a couple key things as well). Limiting distractions is number one. Using a timer is number two. And, number three is planning my work and working my plan (this should probably be number one actually). I’ll give credit to the folks at GTD (Getting Things Done) for that one. In a nutshell, we can only do a Next Action (i.e. If the Outcome you want is fixing your bike there are probably a couple steps you need to take to get there….so, a Next Action might be “Research fixing flat tires online”). I tell you this b/c the more comprehensive your lists of actions are (and in contexts – i.e. At Phone, At Computer, Errands), the better you’ll feel about what you’re not doing.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote a book called “Flow – The Psychology of Optimal Experience”. Fantastic read. Boiled down, true flow is the intersection of doing something that’s challenging enough to you and something you have a high level of skill with.

So, I ask you – when was the last time you experienced your mojo, your flow? Furthermore, when are you at your best? When is your mind most clear? What are you doing when time stands still? Understanding the answers to these questions may unlock the door for you to up your game considerably.

Good luck.

Be well,
Jon