Cultivating Flow at Work: Finding Peak Productivity and Enjoyment

LinkedIn: [00:00:00] Linkedin presents.

Jonathan Fields: [00:00:08] So what if you could tap into a state of optimal productivity, creativity, and joy pretty much whenever you wanted? I'm talking about flow, that magical feeling when you're just so immersed in the activity that the rest of the world seems to melt away. But for some of us, slipping into a flow state brings a rush of energy and laser like focus. We can get more done in less time. New ideas and insights emerge effortlessly and we feel lit up from the inside out. But here's the thing about flow it doesn't just happen randomly. Well, it does sometimes, but not often. With the right strategies, we can increase the likelihood that we cultivate flow more purposefully. And joining me today for this SPARKED episode is our fabulous team member here at Spark Endeavor Shelley Adelle bliss. Together, we'll unpack the science behind flow. What specific states trigger this remarkable state? How exactly does it benefit you both in your work but also in your life? Most importantly, we explore how you can create the conditions for flow in your work life. We explore real world techniques to help you really zero in on the right goals and environment while minimizing distractions. And I'll share small daily habits and rituals that pave the way for me to access flow more readily, and will troubleshoot some of the common obstacles that drain your focus and keep you from being able to drop into flow so that you can overcome them. So let's dive in. I'm Jonathan Fields and this is SPARKED. One. And one last thing before we dive into today's conversation. We are incredibly excited to be sharing a new feature on the SPARKED podcast, Career Transformation Stories.

Jonathan Fields: [00:01:54] We'll be inviting guests to share inspiring stories of their career transformations, from leaving behind unfulfilling jobs to pursue new, more inspired, energized, purposeful, and passionate paths. We're looking for people who've made the decision to spark change in their work lives. Now, this could range from stories of people who reimagined the way they do the same job, so it feels better to those starting entirely different roles companies, industries, or even launching their own endeavors. We're particularly interested in featuring guests who have taken or are open to taking the Sparketype assessment. This unique tool helps you discover your unique imprint for work that makes you come alive, and we'd love to explore how your Sparketype has played a role in your career transformation. So by sharing your story on SPARKED, you'll have the opportunity to inspire others who may be feeling stuck or unsure about their own career paths. And you'll also be talking to me about your journey and your sparketype. So maybe we can tease out a few more insights and awakenings. So if you're ready to ignite, change and share your story with our community, we encourage you to apply to be a guest on SPARKED. We believe that everyone deserves to find fulfillment and purpose in their work, and we're on a mission to help you get there. To apply, go ahead and check out the form in the show notes now. And we are back with this week's special topic driven episode. So, Shelly, what are we diving into this week? Hey Jonathan.

Shelley Adelle Bliss: [00:03:30] Today we will be discussing cultivating flow at work, finding peak productivity and enjoyment.

Jonathan Fields: [00:03:37] Yeah, I love the topic of flow. I've been sort of deep into that research for a lot of years when I was first exposed to it, and I feel like it's become a part of the conversation around work as people really re-examined. What are the what's the feeling they want from the work that they're doing? And flow comes up a lot. Sometimes people don't use the word flow. They want to feel like I'm in the zone, that, you know, things are just going so easily. It feels like, you know, I'm doing the thing I'm here to do, but people just use different language around it. But it tends to anchor back to this sort of similar state. Um, that was, I think, really burst onto the scene in the world of positive psych through a researcher named Mihai Csikszentmihalyi, um, who identified this state and started researching it intensively and really figured out what are the components of it, and also showed that there are these stunning benefits to being able to function in this state called flow. And I think, you know, this is a conversation that I'm excited to dive into because it's very of the moment and it speaks to something. Also, flow is one of the five component states of what we call being SPARKED in our body of work. And people often ask, what does that actually mean? So I'm excited to dive in.

Shelley Adelle Bliss: [00:04:54] Okay, well, let's expand on that then. What are the benefits, let's say individually when working in a flow state?

Jonathan Fields: [00:05:00] Yeah. And I'm glad you threw that word individually in there, because a lot of the research has actually shown that there are incredible benefits to organizations when people are working in the flow state or have easier accesses. But just on a personal level for us, there are so many things that go right when we're dropped into a flow state. So, you know, one, we we tend to experience increases in productivity. So flow, it just maximizes focus and efficiency and really allows us to do more in less time. So if you're somebody who feels like, you know, you really need another 2 or 3 or four hours in the day, being able to access flow states can give you the feeling of actually having that extra time, because you may end up being so much more efficient and effective at what you're doing. So a writer, for example, in a flow state, can often produce really high quality writing and output more quickly. And completing more chapters, more articles, whatever it is they're working on, if you're, you know, producing content for the digital space, things just happen more quickly and more easily and more productively in a flow state. We also see that flow states enhance our creativity, so it encourages creative thinking and problem solving, really helping us to innovate and create new ideas and solutions, which is great for us when we're at work because we like coming up with new cool things. It also is great for the organization, which then becomes great for us again, working in an organization, because the better we are at innovating and creating new ideas and problem solving, then we show up in a way where we're really on people's radars, so that can make a huge difference. I'm curious, Shelly, have you experienced the the creativity benefits at all of flow?

Shelley Adelle Bliss: [00:06:42] Yeah. While you were talking, I was thinking of like as an artist or a designer might come up with like a unique or original concept. And I certainly have been in that flow state just as a crafter, where I might pick up a mixed medium where I had, you know, started out the project thinking it was one thing. And once you kind of get in that flow in the zone, it really turns into something else. And that's really nourishing to be on that side.

Jonathan Fields: [00:07:04] Yeah. So agree. Which kind of leads to one of the other really big benefits. And it's this notion of improved or accelerated skill development. So if you're a crafter or if you're working in an organization and you're maybe you're newer to the job that you're in and you really want to be able to actually develop your skills more quickly, engaging in flow. Really often it takes challenging skills and it accelerates the the sort of the experience of continuous improvement towards excellence, you know, so a musician, for example, practicing a challenging piece or even somebody who's new and who's trying to learn, you know, the notes on a fret board for guitar. The more that they can drop into a flow state, it can improve their technical skills and musicality just and give them that feeling of ease a lot faster, which leads to another benefit which is just greater satisfaction and enjoyment. You know, flow activities are intrinsically rewarding, and we'll dive into that. You know, shortly when we talk about like what are actually the components of flow, but these are things that we do that are the activity itself gives us a reward.

Jonathan Fields: [00:08:10] So we have the sense of joy and fulfillment, um, just by doing the thing. Um, but there's a, there's a less obvious and less talked about benefit of flow also, which is the potential for reduced stress and anxiety. You know, we find when we are fully absorbed in an activity that that state of absorption, it helps draw our attention in, in a way where it's much harder to actually be fretting about the past or obsessing about the future, because we are so utterly in the moment. This has happened to me so many times, and it's it's it's this odd side benefit that's not often talked about because it's almost like this, you know, fringe effect of it, like the very nature of it means it's really hard to be anxious or, um, or really concerned, you know, spinning about the past. Um, and I know that, that when I'm in it that, um, that's one of the things that I tend to, to realize has been happening after I pull out of it, I'm like, oh, my mind is back there in the future and in the past. Um, so I.

Shelley Adelle Bliss: [00:09:15] See that that would be really, really attractive to a lot of people.

Jonathan Fields: [00:09:18] Yeah. I mean, I would imagine you experience this also when you're deep into crafting, it's like you're probably so immersed in the activity you're not really thinking about maybe things that were spinning in your head, you know, an hour before.

Shelley Adelle Bliss: [00:09:30] Yeah. It's the process of itself. I find that I'm able like if I just picked up crocheting. So if I'm able to just really concentrate on the stitch itself, and then I notice that I've dropped into my breath and, you know, the rest of the world in my anxiety list absolutely melts away.

Jonathan Fields: [00:09:47] Yeah, no, I love that part of it. You know, and this also, it all often combines to lead to just a really enhanced learning process. So, you know, mavens in our nomenclature and the sparketype world, you know, they they have this innate drive to learn. Knowledge acquisition is sort of like the thing that animates them. But a lot of other folks, um, you know, they learn for a purpose of wanting to know something so they can do something else. Um, and being able to drop into a flow state, it promotes optimal learning conditions, really, as individuals are just fully engaged and receptive to new information. So a student studying in a flow state, for example, would likely absorb and retain information more effectively, leading to better performance at the end of the day. So even if you're not doing it just for the love of learning, if in some way learning is going to help benefit you, whether you're a student or you're working in a company or you have your own business, this can be a really a really big benefit. Um, and that leads me, I think, to one of the the final benefits, which is just general improved emotional well-being like flow states really contribute to our sense of positive affect, our general, or what people often call subjective well-being. By fostering positive emotion and just an overall sense of happiness. I've been I've been asked and I've actually asked researchers in this state, you know, is flow an emotion? And what I've learned is that flow itself is actually not an emotional state. In fact, it's often described as a state that exists outside of emotion. It is completely immersive. But the benefits of it often lead to all sorts of other emotional well-being, you know, things. So, um, when you think about, you know, why we might want to actually enter flow states in our work and in our life. The benefits just keep piling on and on and on.

Shelley Adelle Bliss: [00:11:39] Yeah. So if I'm looking for this deep sense of happiness and fulfillment that leads me to the question, then what are the core elements of flow? How can I how can I reach that state?

Jonathan Fields: [00:11:50] Yeah, and that's the big question. A lot of people study this. And, you know, the seminal work on it was really she sent me his work that identified a key set of qualities or elements that, when we experience them, add up to this state of flow. There has been follow on work in the years since where people have identified up to 20 something different components, but the core ones I think are pretty agreed upon now. So I sort of like, well, we'll knock through those so you can get a sense of what they are. The first one is that to enter a flow state, we want to actually have a very clearly defined goal. So having that clear understanding of what needs to be achieved provides a sense of purpose and direction. It's really hard to enter a flow state when you're not entirely sure what you're working toward. So, for example, let's say you're an engineer or programmer, and you're working on a very specific feature in an application, and you know exactly what the end result should look like. That is setting up a really specific goal that helps you work towards something you know, because if you don't have that, you spend half your time just wondering where you should be headed rather than actually being able to immerse yourself in the process. Another element. So we have, you know, clear goals. Second element is some mechanism to give us immediate feedback rather than, you know, delayed feedback.

Jonathan Fields: [00:13:12] So if I write a book, for example, or if I if I'm working on a book, oftentimes the dynamic between me and my editor is they're like, okay, you signed the contract, go write the book. You have to give me the manuscript in nine months, which is a little bit nerve wracking, to be honest with you, you know, because you have no idea if you're on point or off point or whether they're going to like it, or whether you have to do massive rewrites until you hand it in three quarters of a year later. And it also makes it harder to get into flow to a certain extent. Flow. Often when we have this immediate feedback loop, when we're receiving immediate feedback, it lets us adjust our actions in real time so we can really stay better aligned with our goals. We can iterate and correct course and keep dropping in, and that makes the experience better for flow. So an artistic example of this would be an artist, you know, who is a painter who could literally immediately see the effect of every brushstroke or every stroke of the palette knife, allowing for them to adjust the next one and the next one, the next one. You know, could you imagine artists sort of like painting, and then every stroke of the brush they can't actually see until the entire thing is done?

Shelley Adelle Bliss: [00:14:21] It kind of reminds me of the difference between like main stage theater versus film acting, whereas, you know, on the theater stage, you're getting that direct and immediate feedback from the audience, which can be thrilling.

Jonathan Fields: [00:14:33] Yeah, no, that's a that's a great example. So third element is a balance between challenge and skill. So we want the thing we're working on the task to be challenging enough to, to really engage us, but not so difficult that it becomes frustrating. And the sense of balance. It really ensures that the activity is stimulating and also achievable if we feel like the thing we're working towards isn't achievable, it turns out it's pretty hard to actually enter a flow state. So there's this really delicate balance between wanting to be challenged so we're not bored, but not being so challenged that we feel like the thing actually isn't possible. And then we just get frustrated and the frustration takes us out of flow too. So there's a bit of a sweet spot, um, is what we've seen in this space. The another one of the component elements is concentration. And this is this deep attentiveness. It's the sense of focusing on the task at hand and being pretty non distracted. So again, I would imagine with some of the things that you've described that you do, I know, you know, like on our team you do a lot of the video editing for us, you know. So you're in there and this sort of like you're immersed, you've got your headphones on. I wonder if you feel like, you know, in, in those types of moments, there are moments where that level of intense concentration and carving out windows where you know, you're just not going to be distracted while you're doing it is effective for you, for sure.

Shelley Adelle Bliss: [00:16:01] I do become deeply absorbed in hours can go by, um, where I've now like, you know, blocked out my day to make sure that I get up and take a break or feed myself.

Jonathan Fields: [00:16:11] Yeah. And that's a pretty common experience. Which brings us to another component of flow. And that's this thing that's been described as sort of like becoming one with the activity. Um, some people might call it, you know, like a merging of action and attention or action and awareness. And this is where you become so involved in the activity that the actions that you're doing, the tasks that you're doing, they feel automatic and natural. It's almost like you're not thinking about doing them. They're just being done. You become you become one with the ball. He she's like a baseball analogy. Um, and but but you can see this in the arts also, you know, like a dancer who moves effortlessly to music just fully synchronized with the rhythm and flow and the performance. They're generally not thinking about the action and themselves as being separate from the action. It all just happens in one seamless thing. It's the state almost beyond thought. And that leads us actually to the next component of flow, which is this sense that you're you're losing a sense, a loss of self-consciousness, um, that you become so engrossed in the thing that you're doing that you lose an awareness of yourself as being separate from the actions that you're performing. Um, you see this in sport and in music, and I would imagine in performing as well in acting, which I know you have a background in, too.

Shelley Adelle Bliss: [00:17:37] I'm just thinking of like Prince on stage with his guitar and just absolutely the the vibe and the whole essence of the performance. You can't really tell the difference between the musician and the instrument.

Jonathan Fields: [00:17:49] Yeah, no. So agree. I think you see that in musicians too. I remember there's this one iconic clip of, I mean, I'm a huge blues guitar fan. Stevie Ray Vaughan was sort of like, you know, my my guitar God, um, who's now gone for something like 30 years. But there's one clip that I go back to often where he's playing, and there's this close up video of him and he is literally looking at you can see his physical body on stage, but you also know he is just somewhere else. He is completely lost and absorbed in that moment. Like there is no Stevie and the guitar and the audience and the music. It is just a complete immersion, you know, absorption of his consciousness. It's it's really cool to see. And I think when we see other people in that state, we know it. And there's something kind of magical about it. And we're kind of like, ooh, I want some of that.

Shelley Adelle Bliss: [00:18:42] Yeah, it has like kind of mystical quality to it.

Jonathan Fields: [00:18:45] Yeah. And that leads to one of the other components also, which is this sense of distorted time. You know, very often people in flow states report that time either speeds up or it slows down. So hours can feel like minutes or the opposite. And I know I when I'm writing, that happens when I'm writing something really personal or when I'm working on a book, you know, because writing is one of those things where it's kind of one of my SPARKED super skills. I feel like it's something I'm reasonably skilled at, and it's something I'm intrinsically motivated to do, and I love doing. And when I set up these components, you know, where I have this sense of non distraction, I can really drop into it that for me, I'll sit down at ten in the morning and I'll blink and I'll be like, wait a minute, it's ten at night and I haven't eaten yet. Um, have you experienced stuff like that?

Shelley Adelle Bliss: [00:19:35] I have, and I was thinking for our listeners, probably the, the like the richness of conversation is where many of us have experienced it. You know, in the best case scenario on a first date. But when you call up a friend and you know, you chit chat and it's 45 minutes later, that's absolutely a flow state that I've experienced often. Yeah.

Jonathan Fields: [00:19:55] And isn't it? I'm so curious about that too, because I've experienced that as well in conversation. And it often happens. Um, I feel like when you're, you get together with really old friends, right? The containers are already created. You have a complete sense of safety and trust. You know each other's history, like you're at a bar or a restaurant, or you know you're in a cabin in the woods together and, you know, you sit down for dinner and like the conversation, like there's no sense of like, I have to guard myself or filtering. And all of a sudden it's three in the morning and you're just you're reveling in this experience with these people. I think conversation can really drop us into that place if it's sort of like has all those indicators of flow as well. You know, one of the and I think we have two, two components left here. So, so one of them is also the sense of intrinsic motivation. The activity itself is inherently rewarding and enjoyable regardless of any external outcomes or rewards. So you may be working towards something. You may be that coder who's working towards a specific feature in an app, and that's sort of like on the outside what your responsibility is.

Jonathan Fields: [00:21:00] But on the inside you're like, I just I'm doing this because I love the feeling that it gives me, you know, the fact that there's some outcome or deliverable or product that, you know, ends, ends up coming out of this. It's a really nice side benefit. And often the thing that provides value for others, it gets us paid. But at the same time, the reason we're really doing it is because we love doing it. In fact, if you probably, you know, had a camera in the person's, you know, living room at home, they might be doing the same activity but working on their own project just because they love doing it so much. Yeah, it's the process itself. Yeah, exactly. And that lands us in our final element, the final component of flow, which is a sense of control. It's this feeling of the activity and the environment. We have some level of agency over. We have some level of control over it. So it's not that just we're trying to do this thing, but it's that we're trying to do this thing and that we have enough control over the means, over the activity, over the environment that we feel like we're able to accomplish the thing. We're able to do the activity and not have so much of it outside of our control that we just keep getting pulled out of the state.

Jonathan Fields: [00:22:08] And this is a really interesting thing that tends to happen in the corporate world because, you know, we're given a certain amount of control, but then so much, oftentimes just enough control over the outcome is not within our grasp that we're never actually given enough agency and ability to drop into that state to do our best work. And that becomes incredibly frustrating. And I've talked to so many people who have lamented this, like, look, if you're going to hold me accountable to doing something that's awesome, I'm down for it. I'd love to do this type of work, but let me actually do it and give me the resources. And would you mind getting out of my way a little bit more so I can actually do this thing? Um, and this has been a lesson for me as a leader over the years, you know, like, because I am a control freak and I've learned that I have to sometimes really just, like, have great people who are, like, can figure it out and let them do the thing that they're they want to do.

Shelley Adelle Bliss: [00:23:00] Well, you've certainly sold me on all the benefits of the flow. So how do we bring more flow into our work?

Jonathan Fields: [00:23:05] Yeah. And, you know, I would imagine that that folks listening and watching to this potentially, um, they're starting to get a sense for how they can do this, but but there are some, some interesting guidelines like first, I mean, foremost, we want to identify the potential flow activities or flow triggers, you know, which activities or which tasks bring you into a flow state. So maybe reflecting on past experiences at work, in your personal life and hobbies and passions, where time just flew by and you felt deeply engaged, like solving complex problems or creating, writing, or engaging in deep work sessions, we see this one of the great ways to actually do this in in the sparketype body of work. One of the things that we know is that our research shows the more that people actually are able to do the work of their especially primary Sparketype in their work, the more likely they are to report high feelings of flow. So oftentimes when you discover what your Sparketype profile is thinking about, where are the things? What are the things that I do or have done that allow me to express this impulse inside of me? That often is a really big signal for identifying activities that might actually let us drop more easily into flow. Um, so that's one of them. Um, another one is when we think about how do we actually create this, how do we get this state is we want to think about the environment that we're creating, you know, so when when you sit down, for example, um, what's something that you feel is like a really a flow activity for you? A flow trigger.

Shelley Adelle Bliss: [00:24:36] A free writing or working with my hands. So any of the crafting things that I do.

Jonathan Fields: [00:24:41] Right. So when you think about, do you think about the physical environment that like when you, when you sit down to do this thing, is there sort of like a physical environment that you like to create that really lets you drop into that space?

Shelley Adelle Bliss: [00:24:52] Oh for sure. I have to declutter the space and, you know, turn off any distractions. Sometimes I have to put noise cancelling earphones on. You know, if my partner's upstairs on a call, um, I definitely have to create the dog if I'm going to be working with textiles. So the environment absolutely impacts my ability to enjoy the activity.

Jonathan Fields: [00:25:12] Yeah, and I love that because it's a great example of what we know that creating the right environment is just critically important to your ability to drop into that state. So you what's interesting for me as a writer is that and as an introvert and somebody who probably identifies as an HSP highly sensitive person, I love solitude. I like quiet, you know, I hike often, I hike with friends, but I also hike alone often just because I love that space. When I'm writing, I found that I can enter flow states the most readily when I'm actually in a public space surrounded by people and noise. So I go to cafes often when I really want to drop, you know, if I have, if I'm going to be writing for 3 to 5 hours and granted, I take breaks in there, I will very often pack up my bag, take my computer and go down to my sort of like my local cafe and grab a table. And because I don't know what it is about it. But I do know that that physical environment, it allows me to drop into that space in a way that maybe is even a little bit counterintuitive. So another thing we want to think about when when helping to access flow states, and this reflects back to what we were talking about earlier, is really the notion of setting clear goals and challenges. Right. So we want to have something that we're working towards that's fairly well defined.

Jonathan Fields: [00:26:27] And maybe that thing is really big and kind of amorphous. Maybe, you know, it's like a year out or two years out. So that makes it a little bit harder. But what what often helps with this is say, okay, so let me chunk this down, you know, like of this thing that is kind of out there and, you know, the quality is, you know, I know maybe, you know, let's take a book, for example, or maybe you're working on launching a new product, right? And you have a really strong sense of, of what the qualities of the product are, what the key elements are going to be. But you don't really know what the shape of it is yet, but you can reverse engineer the steps that will take to get there. And then for each one of those steps, you can generally define a pretty specific goal. And you find that that often is super helpful in setting those and working towards that. That allows us to drop into more of a flow state relative to our work towards that specific, specific goal or step that we become more productive, more creative, more better problem solver. So each micro element of it, we get better at and we drop into a flow state, and it kind of magically just expands out to fill the space and get us to the bigger outcome, faster and better. Um, which is always, you know, like probably a pretty good thing.

Shelley Adelle Bliss: [00:27:37] Well, it makes so much sense to maintain that balance between, like, the skills and the challenge.

Jonathan Fields: [00:27:42] Yeah, 100%. And the other thing that that can really help do this, help us drop into a flow state, is if we can create some sort of ritual or routine, and that can be a daily routine that you follow, or habits or rituals that support your ability to drop into this regular flow state. So let's go back to you and setting up to do free writing, for example. Beyond that, just sort of like, you know, like setting up the physical space so it works for you. I'm curious, do you have any kind of ritual or routine or habit that allows you to sort of like drop yourself into that space or transition from what's happening in the day around you into that space almost more psychologically? Well, I'm.

Shelley Adelle Bliss: [00:28:22] Sure every writer can tell you they have their favorite pen or style of pens. Um, so I definitely have to get my favorite pen, and I always brew a cup of tea. That's kind of my transitional time, where I'll brew a cup of tea and kind of think about where I'm going and drop out of the day to day tasks and drop into that space of really just wanting to, you know, creatively write or not so much the goal itself, but just having the writing experience. And so those are two big things that I always undertake.

Jonathan Fields: [00:28:49] Yeah. And and I love that. And what's interesting about brewing tea also is I think a lot of folks would look at that as like, oh, well, that's the thing that I do before I do the thing that I want to do. But actually, you can think of it as a part of it. Like this is part of the ritual that I create for myself that allows me to drop into the mode to do the thing I want to do, and access flow states more readily. So it's really all part of the same thing rather than just, oh, that's the thing I do that precedes this, this activity. So it's kind of a little bit of a reframe. But but I think once you realize, yeah, how important it is, then you're like, oh, you know, like I actually need to make sure that I'm really saying yes to this because it really is helpful. And then you brought up another really important key earlier, which is, you know, and we talked about it in the, the components to a certain extent it's managing interruptions, you know. So one of the things you share is when you sit down, if you're working with textiles, what did you say. There's one of the things you make sure to do.

Shelley Adelle Bliss: [00:29:48] Well, I have to crate my dog. Right? And then. And then if my partner is upstairs, we both work from home. I often have to put some noise canceling headphones on.

Jonathan Fields: [00:29:57] Yeah, so these can be joyful interruptions. Things like, oh, I want to play with the pup or like, I'd love to hang out with my partner. It's not necessarily these are bad things, but they are interruptions and they are things that will interrupt you from being in a flow state. So so we want to actually give ourselves the benefit of being as non distracted and uninterrupted as I can. So you know what you just said. You kind of said, okay, so what are the things, what are the mechanisms I need to put in place to do this for me? I use time blocking in my calendar often, so I literally when I have a task or a project, instead of writing it down on a to do list and trying to fit it into a day, I will block that into my calendar with a time allocated to it, and those who have access to my calendar will look at that and know kind of like, okay, so that is non-distracted time when I'm working on a really intensive project, oftentimes my creative work happens on a computer, which is kind of brutal because, you know, like you're on the device, which is the single most distracting thing on the planet beyond beside your phone or your tablet. There were times when I was actually working on a book where I would use an app that basically shut off. I would set an amount of time. I'd say like, okay, so for three hours it would make it so that I could not actually access anything but my writing app.

Jonathan Fields: [00:31:13] I couldn't access social media, I couldn't generally browse the web because I knew that I actually didn't have the willpower, the self-control to not just, you know, when I hit a certain moment in my writing where it was a little bit harder, it'd be like, oh, let me go check what's happening, or oh, I'm sure there's an important email for me. So like having mechanisms to manage those interruptions I think is really important. And also, you know, I think more broadly, when you start to zoom the lens out, um, balancing work and flow. So integrating these activities into your overall workday without neglecting other responsibilities, because Because sometimes people will say, I can't do that. You know, like I work in an office where it just doesn't work that way or I've got all these other things to do. Also, I can't just get lost in a flow state, right? And I get that that is a practical thing. And at the same time, the benefits are so strong, both to yourself, personally and productively, and also to potentially what you're trying to craft out in the world or what you're trying to make happen in your career trajectory, that it really does make sense to really figure out how to how to do this balancing act between getting all those things that are going to be done that that need to be done outside of flow states, but also carving out time for them.

Jonathan Fields: [00:32:25] And this really flows into one of the other tips I think is important, which is oftentimes when you're working in an organization, you're working on a team and the team dynamics, the culture of the team can really affect how much, how often and how deep you can go into flow. So if you're on a team, if you're leading a team, for sure, think about this. You know, think about how can I encourage and facilitate flow within the team dynamic within the members of my team and create collaborative environments? And if you're on a team, maybe having a conversation about saying, hey, listen, I would really love to be able to show up as my best self. And I know that when I can drop into these flow states, I will produce and create at a much higher level. Like, can we have a conversation about what it would look like to be able to actually designate sort of working conditions and cultures that allowed not just me, but everybody on the team to drop into those states more readily. This is going to be more of like a, you know, a person by person, leader by leader, teammate by teammate conversations. Some will be open to it, some won't be so open to it. But I think it's a conversation worth having because it really makes a difference a lot of ways. Yeah.

Shelley Adelle Bliss: [00:33:33] And it really addresses that tension between what an individual might need and what the collective achievements are.

Jonathan Fields: [00:33:39] Yeah, no, 100%. I think it just it's important and it can get a little bit funky when you're younger on a team also or younger in an organization, you kind of don't want to make waves, but at the same time, you really do want to be able to show up as your best self and do your best work. So, you know, it's a dynamic to sort of it. At least if you don't feel ready to address it, at least noodle on it. Think about how and when you might be able to, in some way, carve out that space to be able to to do it. Um, you know, and part of what we're also looking to do here is, is overcome barriers to being able to drop into that flow state. So we want to look at the things that stop us from getting into that place and address them so that we can do something about it. So an example might be, you know, tackling issues like a lack of motivation or excessive stress or unclear goals. So oftentimes we think about exterior barriers. But I think we sort of address that. When we talked about setting up your environment, a lot of times the barriers to float, they're actually interior like these are these are our internal things, you know, and we know if we're really overburdened or overwhelmed or stressed or burned out, it's going to be brutally hard to go and access flow states. And equally, if we're really unclear about what we're working towards again, it will be hard to do that. So thinking about the internal barriers to flow and what we might be able to do, um, to really help set that up, it's interesting what you were describing earlier. Also, even with the T, I feel like this is that's almost like an external change in your environment that also creates an internal shift that may be sort of like drops you into the mind space to be able to access flow more readily. I'm curious, do you feel that?

Shelley Adelle Bliss: [00:35:21] Yeah, I. Think of it as part of like, you know, my stress management. I've, you know, I've finished my job for the day or I'm taking a lunch break and I just have this transition time. So I'm mindfully entering the writing space. And, um, I just think for so many of us, we get really attached to all of the external factors that we have no control over, that we forget that there are these small things that we can do to take a little bit of that agency back.

Jonathan Fields: [00:35:47] Yeah, totally makes sense. And I completely agree. And that really brings us to just the final, final idea around how we can more readily access flow states and this, this, this notion of continuous improvement. This is a huge, actually manufacturing philosophy that came out of Japan that was called kaizen, about rather than saying, we're going to make these giant increases or massive innovations in Toyota. Actually, it was like, okay, so let's let's identify goals, let's identify outcomes. But let's focus on process and let's focus on small steps and continuous improvement like the 1% improvement and then the 1% improvement and 1% improvement. And we can apply this to flow states. Also by regularly assessing and adjusting our strategies to cultivate flow more effectively, how do we make a 1% improvement in our ability to actually access that flow state? You may find you're kind of working towards it. And then six months later you're like, wow, I'm actually able to drop into this much more readily, stay in it longer and go deeper. So that notion of continuous improvement I think is a huge difference. So I think as we wrap up, you know, this is it's really about understanding what flow is, understanding the core components, understanding the benefits which we've gone into in a lot of detail, and then going through a lot of the different tips and strategies that we've talked about to really figure out how do I bring more of this into my work and also into my life, because it makes everything better.

Shelley Adelle Bliss: [00:37:12] Thanks so much, Jonathan.

Jonathan Fields: [00:37:14] Yeah, thanks for coming along with this journey into flow, and we'll see you all here again in the next episode of SPARKED. Take care. Hey, so I hope you enjoyed that conversation. Learned a little something about your own quest to come alive and work in life, and maybe feel a little bit less alone along this journey to find and do what sparks you. And remember, if you're at a moment of exploration, looking to find and do or even create work that makes you come more fully alive, that brings more meaning and purpose and joy into your life, take the time to discover your own personal sparketype for free at sparketype.com. It will open your eyes to a deeper understanding of yourself and open the door to possibility like never before. And hey, if you're finding value in these conversations, please just take an extra second right now to follow and rate SPARKED in your favorite podcast app. This is so helpful in helping others find the show and growing our community so that we can all come alive and work in life together. This episode of SPARKED was produced by executive producers Lindsey Fox and Me, Jonathan Fields. Production and editing by Sarah Harney. Special thanks to Shelley Adelle for her research on this episode. Until next time. I'm Jonathan Fields and this is SPARKED.