(That’s me – in case you didn’t know)

Flow: the mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity. *

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Flow is what athletes refer to as being “in the zone.”? You can’t normally just be there at any specific moment. ? The more you achieve Flow, the easier it is to reclaim, though.? I spend weeks seeking it then days living it.

Flow is:

1. Clear goals (expectations and rules are discernible and goals are attainable and align appropriately with one’s skill set and abilities).

2. Concentrating and focusing, a high degree of concentration on a limited field of attention (a person engaged in the activity will have the opportunity to focus and to delve deeply into it).

3. A loss of the feeling of self-consciousness, the merging of action and awareness.

4. Balance between ability level and challenge (the activity is neither too easy nor too difficult).

5. A sense of personal control over the situation or activity.

Sometimes after I pull something off that someone else deems impossible they ask me how I did it or “why can you do stuff like this?”? I think it’s a matter of finding that spot where you aren’t “working” but are rather being alive and merging action and awareness into one rolled up ball of activity.?? When you are *fully* involved in the moment of life you’re living, you’re in Flow.? That’s what I need – that’s what I’ve been trying to find.

How do you find that state where your mind is clear, your work is simple and you are accomplishing more in one day then you do in the other 6 that week?? Music?? Solitude?? Exercise/running?? What clears your head so totally that you can think of nothing but what’s in front of you?

For me, I find flow in the late night.? I don’t know why but it all starts after 1 am for me.? I’m going to leave the actual time on this post (currently 5:15:45am) so you can see how my flow works.? I started this post about 45-60 minutes ago and haven’t yet been to sleep.? I will go as soon as I hit publish.? Late nights clear my head and allow me time and motive to think about the next day, about life and about finding my reasons.

See the photo at the beginning of this post again?? That’s me, in Flow.? That’s the focus I’m bringing to this game…