Flow is the idea of focusing solely on the task at hand. It requires an individual to become one with whatever it is that they are doing at the moment. Because of technology, laziness, and a rewiring of societal values, this psychological state is getting harder and harder to achieve. However, appreciating a task for what it is worth is more beneficial than actually completely the task itself.
Flow
The idea of solely focusing on one particular aspect in life seems to be a foreign concept in today's society. Individuals looking for themselves fail to do so because of the notion that peace needs to be found through external avenues. However, the case is quite the opposite. Individuals who find the most harmony or achieve inner peace do so because of their being in touch with their internal selves. The theory of flow emphasizes "effortless concentration" (Csikszentmihalyi 1997), one that can be achieved by focusing solely on the one specific task at hand, without any side distractions. Concentrating exclusively on a specific topic, while fully enjoying it and losing oneself in one's activities is what encompasses flow and what both the article and the video at hand by Csikszentmihalyi emphasize.
True enjoyment is a topic that very few know about. From the article and video, it is understood that in order to truly accomplish something in its entirety, flow needs to be attained. Stress is something that cannot be avoided, but rather controlled and interpreted in positive ways. When contributing to a project at work or school, or when doing a leisurely activity, one is required to have un-devoted (and undistracted) attention in order to be brought to a state of flow. However, with the idea of multi-tasking, technological influence, and quantity over quality, this flow concept is many times overlooked, undervalued, and misunderstood. As was stated in the video (Csikszentmihalyi 2004), at times it is merely important to solely focus on the end goal in terms of achievement and not in terms monetary gain or satisfaction. Losing oneself in an activity because of its pure enjoyment or because of dire concentration is the goal when it comes to flow and although it may seem impossible to achieve, in the end it will bring more gratification to understand the process that was gone through, then to do the task at hand..
Personally, flow is achieved when reading a book. Divulging oneself into a story line is just as powerful as actually being there. The state of consciousness that one enters is flow at work. Getting into a book involves full concentration and the ignoring of one's surroundings, allowing one to be as engaged as possible to achieve full understanding of the material. Creatively, being able to comprehend what is at hand creates both a positive, stress-free ambiance. The value of flow is particularly important in a course called Advanced Research Methods because research requires undivided attention. It is important to know what the goal is when either conducting research or reading about it. Being in touch with the purpose and fully valuing what information is being attained is more important than just getting an assignment out of the way. One needs to "engage oneself in creating something new" (Csikszentmihalyi 2004) and fully appreciate what the goal that a particular research project is trying to achieve. When it comes to personally working with other individuals, flow can be achieved through actually listening to what other people are saying. There is a difference between hearing them and listening to them; the latter requires flow to be in place.
As was so eloquently stated in the article, "the important thing is to enjoy the activity for its own sake, and to know that what matters is not the result, but the control one is acquiring over one's attention" (Csikszentmihalyi 1997). Acquiring a mindset of flow is not an easy task, but it is one that will reap many benefits if actually done the right way. Instead of getting things done or conducting specific tasks just because it needs to be done, one needs to take a step back and truly indulge themselves with the particular task at hand. It may seem more difficult to focus on the task and understand it -- become one with it -- than it is to just complete something and get it over with. But what needs to be realized is that the idea of understanding and getting to know oneself is what is important, and what the real end goal should be.
Roxanna's comments are right on target when it comes to flow. She states that laziness is a huge factor in determining what is done when, and how things are done. The great civilizations before us left us the gifts that were made possible through their personal achievement of flow. No longer is civilization inspired as it once was to create new things. Everything now is dependent on technology which in itself captures the idea of multitasking; this goes completely against the whole notion of flow. However, laziness and routine (another concept that was seen as a barrier to achieving flow) are a part of everyday life no matter what historical time frame one is describing. Every society has those that fall into the mundane everyday tasks. But the few individuals that break out of that mold and in turn contribute their personal inspirations to the world are the ones that manage to achieve flow. Roxanna captures this concept in her comments and explains really well what the idea of flow entails.
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