We had a meltdown. My daughter was upset she had two classes, one each in the morning and afternoon. And this meant every time she got really involved in something, she had a class and it broke her ‘flow’ (her words). She wanted instead to lose herself in deep projects of her own interest.
Wow! That’s an insight we adults can learn from.
How can we lose ourselves in anything when our mobiles ping all day long, and calls keep breaking our flow?
Flow has tremendous power. While coaching, when I am able to strike a deep connection with my client, I find flow. There is intense concentration, serenity, timelessness and joy! And the experience is so immersive that nothing else matters. As per Csikszentmihalyi, who first studied it, it is what helps us find true happiness in life.
What is the secret for finding flow at work?
A high level of challenge coupled with a high level of skill. For me, coaching is challenging – I have butterflies in my stomach before every session. But I can see the progress my clients are making, and I myself am making.
The simple key? Find what moves your spirit, and keep getting better at it. Thank you to my coaching mentors – Peter J Reding, Joanna Davis and Amrita Singh – for helping me find it.
So tell me – where and how do you find flow?
