Peak performance is a state of consciousness where you’re in a rapt moment of attention, totally absorbed and focused on the task at hand. Everything else disappears, and time seems to pass quickly. Often called “flow” or “the zone,” it’s a state where your mental and physical performance goes through the roof.
When was the last time you felt like you were in the flow? Like the work you were doing, or the challenge you were facing, aligned perfectly with your abilities for optimal performance?
We’ve all felt flow state before, but as workers, entrepreneurs, and community members struggling with the stresses and pressures of daily life, it’s worth the effort to learn to cultivate flow deliberately.
The good news is it’s possible to train yourself to move into it when needed, says Steven Kotler, author of The Art of Impossible: A Peak Performance Primer. “Flow is universal,” he says. “Anyone, anywhere can get into it, provided certain conditions are met. . . . Instead of it being an elusive state, it can become more reliable and repeatable.”
What is a flow state?
Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a psychologist and professor of psychology at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California, is believed to have first introduced the concept of flow.
In his book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Performance, he describes it as: “The state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.”
“Flow” is that sweet spot on the edge of difficulty, where you’re challenged a bit beyond your comfort zone but not so much that you struggle to continue. When you’re in flow, time passes differently, your ideas are firing, and you’re super focused.
There’s a misperception that flow can mean being carried away by any experience, but when you’re binging Netflix you’re not in a flow state—you’re relaxing, or maybe just wasting time. Flow is a state of optimal performance during which our creativity, productivity, and mental health are enhanced. To experience it, we need to find a task that is challenging enough to require our full attention but not so overwhelming that we feel defeated. And that balance is worth finding for many reasons besides just getting stuff done.
The benefits of a flow state
Surfing is a 1,000-year-old sport, and 20 years ago the biggest wave ever ridden was 25 feet. Today surfers push into waves 100 feet tall. What’s behind the insane progress? Flow, says Kotler who is also the author of The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance.
“Flow is an optimal state of consciousness, when you feel and perform your best,” he says. “It’s the moment of total absorption. Time speeds up or slows down like a freeze-frame effect. Mental and physical ability go through roof, and the brain takes in more information per second, processing it more deeply.”
It can be a pleasant experience, but more importantly, it’s an intensely productive one. A 10-year study conducted by McKinsey found that flow made executives five times more productive. Creating the conditions to get to a flow state can be an impactful way to conquer burnout and increase productivity and creativity.
Studies show that people who experience flow report higher levels of happiness. A University of Sydney study found that flow is associated with higher levels of creativity and innovation. Flow has also been shown to reduce anxiety and depression.
How do you induce a flow state?
Getting into flow happens in a specific way. However, it’s not a one-size-fits-all process, due to personality. Following someone else’s system can be dangerous, says Kotler. “What usually happens with personality, personal growth, and self-help categories is that somebody figures out what works for them and then tries to teach others,” he says. “As a general rule, it’s a disaster.” You need to figure out what works for you.
1. Set a clear vision of the future.
Focusing on the next hill won’t help a marathon runner much if she doesn’t know the course she’s supposed to be running. It’s the same in business. Avoid vague aspirations and instead set clear and measurable targets.
Research indicates writing down goals can dramatically increase your likelihood of achieving them. Write down specific longer-term goals, but also try to think more directionally and set small, achievable milestones along the way. For example, if you’re trying to climb a mountain or get 100 customers, think about the first customer, or the first 100 yards uphill, and then the next. This way you’re not limited by the end goal (and can keep adding steps beyond it) and each step along the way gives you a sense of accomplishment.
Video games are often cited as one of the most quickly accessed sources of flow. There’s even a game Flow that pays homage to Csikszentmihalyi. Achieving a state of flow is part of what makes playing video games so enjoyable.
Video games like the classic Super Mario World offer players an experience that almost reaches 100 stages. What makes this manageable is the experience is broken up into 96 parts spread across nine worlds–inclusive of bonus worlds–each with their own checkpoints.
Breaking it down this way makes it more likely you’ll stay motivated as you achieve and complete those steps. The key here is to carefully plan out your steps by:
- Identifying your goal
- Creating a list of key milestones
- Putting them into a calendar
- Get started
2. Take care of your body and your brain.
Your physical and mental health have to be in a welcome state for peak performance. Kotler says there are specific things you must do to maintain your energy levels on the physical side: perform:
- Get adequate sleep every night
- Maintain good hydration and nutrition
- Have regular social support and interaction
On the cognitive side, anxiety hampers performance in a significant way and there are many ways to curb it.
Kotler suggests you tune up your nervous system with a daily gratitude practice. He recommends making a list of three things you’re grateful for and turn it into a paragraph. “This is shown to reduce anxiety,” he says. He also recommends having a mindfulness, respiration, or breathwork practice. Eleven to 20 minutes a day of focused breath is enough to consistently lower anxiety and regulate emotions. And the third, he suggests getting 20 to 40 minutes bursts of exercise where you can feel your lungs expand and you’re flushing out stress. When you’re starting, Kotler suggests doing one of these a day.
Of course, you might find other techniques are best for maintaining your own mental focus.
Kotler admits none of the tricks are cutting edge or sexy. “They’re simple psychological interventions that evolved millions of years ago,” he says. “If you want to rely on [a] substance, tool, or technology to get into peak performance, there’s a problem. When your boss calls you into the boardroom, you need something reliable and repeatable. Flow follows focus. It only shows up when you have attention on the task at hand.”
3. Find your flow triggers.
According to an article from Eton College, “Flow ‘triggers’ are components of experiences that drive dopamine and/or norepinephrine through the brain, both of which can facilitate focus.” Flow triggers are individual-based, so you have to figure out what works for you.
For example, one trigger for some people is having high consequences, such as the CEO of your company calling you into the boardroom. It involves an element of danger, and someone with a high-risk-tolerance might find this trigger pushing them into peak performance. Another flow trigger is deep embodiment, which is when you expand your physical awareness as you learn by doing.
Your triggers can change over time as your personality and strengths evolve, adds Kotler, who recommends rotating through triggers to keep flow showing up.
4. Remove distractions.
One contributing factor to flow is the singularity of focus–you can achieve this by shutting out interruptions. The type of work you do may have some built-in limitations, but choose instead to focus on the areas you can control.
There are “Do not disturb” settings on practically every device and software you use. Turn them on. Then, set a time boundary around the work you’re doing. If you’re a writer, set a goal of writing for 30 minutes without interruptions. If you’re a designer, create a brief, gather all the necessary materials, and work on the design without stopping. Your productivity will skyrocket when you’re not task-switching every five minutes. You can’t attain a flow state if you’re multitasking. Besides, multitasking is often just doing multiple things sub-optimally.
Here are some ways you can remove distractions while you work:
- Limit your multitasking by shutting down every application you do not need
- Turn off any notifications that are not absolutely essential
- Put your cell phone out of sight
- Clear off your desk space
- Declutter everything within your field of vision
Just like many video games have elegant information displays that do a great job of helping you focus only on the numbers that matter, if you can see it, it should relate directly to what you are doing.
5. Select the soundtrack.
The quality of video game music has advanced dramatically since the original bleeps and bloops of arcade games like Donkey Kong and Space Invaders.
Many video game soundtracks are stand-alone works of art in their own right, but Fast Company writer, organizational development practitioner, and video game enthusiast Jonathan Harrison especially recommend soundtracks from role-playing games like the Final Fantasy game series. The ideal works are sweeping orchestral pieces that fit the bill for being both pleasing to listen to and are noninvasive. This is the perfect combination for productivity-inducing background music.
6. Enforce time limits.
A timer counting down creates a sense of urgency. Many video games have built-in time limits that specific tasks must be completed within. The presence of a time-tracking system also allows for better management of time resources, and can help keep a project on track. The motivation produced is as important as the evasion of procrastination.
A study conducted by social network company Draugiem Group determined the ideal time for productivity is 52 minutes of focused intensity, followed by 17 minutes of break time. This cycle allows for focused and purposeful activity with an anticipated break at the end. But you can experiment to see what amount of time works best for triggering your own flow state.
Tracking the time should be simple. Apps or programs like Marinara Timer will allow you to set a timer for a specific period of your choosing. So, you can take the guesswork out of when to set your next alarm, and provide a visual reminder of the countdown.
7. Disable “autopilot.”
The atmosphere around you can trigger flow, and Kotler says novelty, unpredictability, and complexity will get you there. “In surfing, no two waves are same,” he says.
In business, the idea is to get out of habits and routines. “Automatic pilot is efficient and routines save the brain energy, but it doesn’t put you into flow,” says Kotler. Instead, shake things up. Vary your route. Even brush your teeth with the wrong hand. Against-the-grain tricks will demand focus, says Kotler.
Pixar is a great example of a rich environment, says Kotler. Steve Jobs designed an atrium in the center of its offices, positioning the meeting rooms, cafeteria, mailboxes, and bathrooms around it.
“Steve Jobs artificially created the environmental conditions that massively upped the amount of novelty, unpredictability, and complexity in the environment because people across departments and disciplines started running into each other and having conversations,” says Kotler. “As a result, flow, innovation, and creativity went up.”
8. Measure results—but not while doing the work.
Of course, tracking results is important. But it’s equally important to do this in a way that doesn’t interrupt the flow state you’ve worked so hard to achieve. Set a routine to avoid micromanaging your goals. This could be a dashboard that shows daily or weekly revenue metrics, or establishing regular check-ins with your team to review progress.
9. Reward yourself for success.
Another important key to productivity is recognition. Video games are especially good at rewarding and recognizing positive behaviors and results. Part of this lies in the programming.
Many modern games allow for in-game trophies or achievements for completing certain tasks, usually giving very specific details as to how to accomplish the feat. Unlike the typical workplace when the conditions are met, the award is immediately received every time.
Consistency is much easier in a virtual world, where rewards and achievements can be doled out through an automated process, since this minimizes the likelihood good behavior will fail to be recognized, or poor performance will go unnoticed. This is part of the challenge managers face when overseeing groups in the workplace.
When it comes to personal productivity, establish a set of prizes you will award yourself with upon completion of a task or milestone. The best part about managing yourself this way is you know what matters most. For example, maybe you know that you’re not motivated by rewarding yourself with an episode of reality TV, but you are motivated by a cup of coffee or a sushi dinner to look forward to.
10. Push past your fears.
Unfortunately, flow can be elusive even if you’ve set the table perfectly. Fires must be put out and sometimes avoiding distractions is impossible. Beyond that, some of the biggest obstacles to getting in flow are often internal: negative self-talk, doubts, and fears.
But the truth is, fear is an almost inevitable by-product of pushing your boundaries. With practice and a few fear-busting strategies, you’ll develop the resilience to overcome these internal blockers and get into the optimal state to do your best, most creative work.
“The brain can’t tell the difference between physical consequences and emotional risk,” says Kotler. “Taking social risks is the same as physical risks.” Speak up at meetings, share creative ideas, approach a stranger or tell the truth when it feels awkward.
“In Silicon Valley, the idea is to fail fast or fail forward,” he says. “If you’re not giving employees space to fail, you’re not giving them space to risk. Move fast and break things. Engage in rapid experimentation. High consequences will drive flow and you get further faster.”
By cultivating a flow state, you can achieve “productive happiness”: a state in which you feel energized, motivated, and fulfilled by your work. And as a bonus, you’ll likely be more successful in the process.
“Flow shows up when we’re stretching, pushing our skills to the max,” says Kotler. “It’s an uncomfortable place to be in the moment, but the payoff is a deeper life satisfaction.”
Greg Smith and Jonathan Harrison also contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article and a previous version.
