Beastie Boys know a lot about flow. Not only are they masters of the combination of sick beats and great lyrics but now we are prepared when we go to White Castle because they informed us that “White Castle fries only come in one size”. Not quite the same flow that is described by Ilona Boniwell in an article called Living in Flow, but they did help me find my flow while I was writing this.

I am talking about the flow you find when “we encounter a challenge that is testing for our skills, and yet our skills and capacities are such that it is just about possible to meet this challenge. Both the challenge and the skills are at high levels, stretching us almost to the limit.”

When you find the perfect project “Goldilocks”, not too boring and not too hard, project at work, then what? Stefan Goldfinch author of How to Enjoy Studying: Flow says you go into “a state of total absorption in an activity where the individual is so focused that nothing else seems to matter. Time flies by and the activity becomes a joyful, even ecstatic, experience.”

That sounds amazing! But with all the distractions at work like meetings, phone calls, and emails is this even possible? I started looking for ways to achieve flow and came a crossed an article called Getting in the zone: A guide to finding flow at work by Callum Sharp.

The article has some pretty good ideas. Sharp says that “being able to shut out distractions and completely focus on a singular task is tremendously valuable for finding flow.” In order for flow to happen, you must prepare yourself by turning off your email notifications and your phone. He also suggests that “before you sit down at your desk, fuel up on the right foods and drink plenty of water.”

Do you have any other ideas that help you find flow at work? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Photo Credit – Randall Foster