In the clearly circumscribed world of a flow activity, we know that as long as we respect its challenges and develop the appropriate skills to meet them, we stand a good chance of being able to cope with the situation.When people describe their flow experiences, one of the first things they mention is a strong sense of being in control of the situation.It is an escape forward from current reality. Because flow involves meeting challenges and developing skills, it leads to growth.The world of flow is limited not only in space, but also in time: because attention must be focused on the present, events from the past or the future cannot find room in consciousness.In flow the task at hand demands complete attention, it is for this reason that an enjoyable experience produces an ecstatic state, the sensation of being in a different world.If we really focus attention on a given task, we cannot notice anything outside that narrow stimulus field. Our mind cannot cope with too many stimuli simultaneously. It is interesting to note that ecstasy is really the result of our limited ability to concentrate.Concentration in flow can be so deep that the term “ecstasy” is sometimes used to describe it.The distinction between self and activity disappears.We no longer have to think about what to do, but act spontaneously, almost automatically, even when some aspect of the task at hand is very difficult or dangerous. When the involvement passes a certain threshold of intensity, we suddenly find ourselves deeply into the game, the pursuit, or the interaction.When we begin to respond to an opportunity that has clear goals and provides immediate feedback, we are likely to become involved in it.The individual who is truly engaged with the world – interested, curious, excited – is never at a loss for opportunities to experience flow.The very experience of flow thus becomes one incentive for growing to higher levels of complexity. In fact, one must do so, to prevent tasks from becoming routine and boring. As skills improve, one is able to take on greater challenges.A good flow activity is one that offers challenges at several levels of complexity.Flow occurs when both challenges and skills are high and equal to each other.If it appears to be beyond our capacity we tend to respond to it by feeling anxious if the task is too easy we get bored. It is easier to become completely involved in a task if we believe it is doable.Feedback may come from colleagues or supervisors who comment on performance, but preferably it is the activity itself that will provide this information. The sense of total involvement of the flow experience derives in large part from knowing that what one does matters, that it has consequences. It is difficult for people to stay absorbed in any activity unless they get timely, “online” information about how well they are doing.Our primary concern here is not with what constitutes a successful performance, but with the quality of experience during performance.To be overly concerned with the ultimate goal often interferes with performance.People often miss the opportunity to enjoy what they do because they focus all their attention on the outcome, rather than savoring the steps along the way.
For a person to become deeply involved in any activity it is essential that he know precisely what tasks he must accomplish, moment by moment.Let’s see the essential characteristics of flow experience listed below in key thoughts from Csikszentmihalyi himself. Professor Csikszentmihalyi defines 8 basic conditions of flow in his book Good Business (2003).
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