Experiencing Flow and Building Psychic Energy
A really interesting quote below from a book called Good Business by Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, a guy who has done a lot of research into a concept he calls flow. This is a state where challenge AND skills are high, where you lose time and are not distracted by anything else, where you are so involved in what you are doing, you essentially lose yourself to your activity. He has written several books: Optimal Experience, Creativity, and Flow. All of them interesting, but the idea and state of flow can sometimes be difficult to identify because not all really great experiences are completely "flow" in nature. I have just begun to identify my own periods of flow (some obvious and some not so obvious), in no particular order: playing ultimate frisbee, reading a good book, writing, teaching others a challenging concept, having sex, sailing, and puzzling. I wonder what all that says, but no matter...
In his latest book, Csikszentmihali discusses flow in the work place and in one's personal life. His advice: gravitate towards what you are good at and what brings about flow, challenge yourself, and engage in activities where you can judge your own increasing skill.
“Psychic energy is consumed when the attention we invest does not produce any change in the mind- when no lasting memories are laid down, no new skills develop, no relationships are strengthened. When a person uses up a fraction of his life and nothing complex results from it, he is wasting psychic energy. By contrast psychological capital is built up when the attention invested results in a more complex consciousness- more refined skills, a fuller understanding of some subject, a deeper relationship. This usually takes place when we use our skills to confront a higher level of challenges- in other words, when we experience flow. These are the kind of investments of attention that will bring returns later in the form of an improved quality of life,”(79).
It would be interesting to me to find out where other people find flow and psychic energy. Rock climbing or works of art are most often talked about in the books. Where is your flow?
In his latest book, Csikszentmihali discusses flow in the work place and in one's personal life. His advice: gravitate towards what you are good at and what brings about flow, challenge yourself, and engage in activities where you can judge your own increasing skill.
“Psychic energy is consumed when the attention we invest does not produce any change in the mind- when no lasting memories are laid down, no new skills develop, no relationships are strengthened. When a person uses up a fraction of his life and nothing complex results from it, he is wasting psychic energy. By contrast psychological capital is built up when the attention invested results in a more complex consciousness- more refined skills, a fuller understanding of some subject, a deeper relationship. This usually takes place when we use our skills to confront a higher level of challenges- in other words, when we experience flow. These are the kind of investments of attention that will bring returns later in the form of an improved quality of life,”(79).
It would be interesting to me to find out where other people find flow and psychic energy. Rock climbing or works of art are most often talked about in the books. Where is your flow?
posted by KLOU | 8:44 AM
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