If we want to perform at our best, it’s important that we pay attention to the environment in which we work. Do you work better in an office or outside? Do you have your best creative insights in the shower or while hiking in nature? How frequently do you move throughout the day (or do … Continue reading External Flow Triggers – How your environment influences flow
The Flow Cycle – 4 Stages to Reliable and Sustainable Flow States
One of the most common misconceptions around flow is that it’s either on or off. You’re either in the zone or you’re not. The reality is that flow lies on a spectrum. There are varying degrees of how tapped in you can be. The good news is that we can train ourselves to turn up … Continue reading The Flow Cycle – 4 Stages to Reliable and Sustainable Flow States
The Challenge to Skills Equation and how to use it as a framework for life
The earliest researcher and scientist in the world of Flow research was undoubtedly Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. He is the man who coined the word “flow” and built our earliest models of understanding this elusive state. Out of all of his contributions, the most widely known and discussed is what many refer to as the Challenge:Skills Equation, … Continue reading The Challenge to Skills Equation and how to use it as a framework for life
What is a “Flow State” and how do I know if I am in one?
Have you ever felt like you’re “in the zone”? A state where you’re so focused and concentrated that you have tunnel vision, where everything is effortless and you perform at your best? If you have, you’ve been lucky enough to experience what is called a “Flow State”. Coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a flow state is … Continue reading What is a “Flow State” and how do I know if I am in one?
How “Flow States” changed my understanding of meditation
I’ve been practicing traditional seated meditation for about 5 years now. The kind where you sit still for 20+ minutes paying attention to your breath in complete silence. It’s a practice that has been invaluable to me and has had more positive benefits than I could ever anticipate….but it’s also a practice that has made … Continue reading How “Flow States” changed my understanding of meditation
Why you should intentionally hang out with “toxic” people
Last year I wrote an article entitled “Beware of the energy vampires”. It’s a piece about avoiding the people who are an energy suck. The people who drain you and make you feel depleted. The "toxic" ones. On one hand I still largely agree with this - you must protect yourself, protect your energy, be … Continue reading Why you should intentionally hang out with “toxic” people
Travel the world, by yourself, for at least 6 months.
If there is one piece of universal advice that I could give to everyone - one single piece of advice that will improve your life more than anything else - one suggestion that will give you the most bang for your buck, it would have to be... Travel the world, by yourself, for at least … Continue reading Travel the world, by yourself, for at least 6 months.
Meditation is a lot like the Powerball lottery
Imagine that your mind is like one of those lottery bowls. Like this - via GIPHY Each ball represents a thought. Swirling around and around inside of your head. When we sit down to meditate, thoughts, like lotto balls, will rise to the surface. I like to imagine that if I engage with the thought … Continue reading Meditation is a lot like the Powerball lottery
The mind is a good fisherman – don’t take the bait
The mind always needs to be thinking about something. Solving some problem. Remembering some memory or envisioning the future. It’s always coming up with some new thought. Trying to bait me into thinking. This was one of my biggest takeaways from the first time that I did a 10-Day Vipassana retreat - when you … Continue reading The mind is a good fisherman – don’t take the bait
The Feel Good Feedback Loop
Throughout my journey of meditation over the last few years, my biggest realizations has been that every memory has a feeling attached to it. When we think about a memory, when we visualize that experience, we FEEL it as well. So if we look back on a traumatic experience, we feel all of the emotions … Continue reading The Feel Good Feedback Loop