I'm addicted to the "flow"

Entering the flow is such a magical experience. It’s like I’m in a trance, and I’m just doing things without thinking. The flow is a state often used by athletes, artists, and musicians to describe when they are performing at their best. It is when you are so focused and entranced in what you are doing that you lose track of time and everything else around you. Whenever I enter the flow, time passes by so so so quickly, and I feel like I can continue doing what I’m doing forever.

It has been a while since I’ve entered the flow, but working on adding in this blog/journal section to my website has brought me back. If only I could enter the flow for my schoolwork or job! Can you imagine how much more productive I would be? It would make the mental game of getting work done so much easier.

I think what sets this apart from other activities is that I have a vision I really want to fulfill. I can clearly visualize what I want, exactly how I can do it, and all that is left is simply to execute. A lot of what I have been doing recently has been more exploratory. With startups especially, you really never know what your end product will look like. You have a general idea, but the specifics are always changing. Even the very core of your product can change. Because so much of the time is spent thinking about a project’s features, value proposition, how it can be marketed, business model, etc., it’s hard to get into the flow and simply focus on executing.

Once I get into the flow, I notice that I tend to get caught up on the details even when I consciously recognize what I am doing. I am completely aware of my inefficient workflow, but I want to get caught up in the details in order to keep my state of mind undisrupted. I am willing to sacrifice a lot just to keep the momentum going. I will work for hours on end without taking a break, and I can become very anti-social. I also tend to not eat or take care of myself at all… oops. While I think it is one of the most satisfying feelings in the world, it probably is a good thing that I don’t enter the flow too often. I would probably become a complete shut-in who never touches grass, eats or sleeps.