How to Get into the Flow of Writing
Thursday, June 17, 2010 at 1:32AM
photo via flickr
Yesterday I was playing a game of racquetball and I was completely focused. My timing was perfect, I anticipated the ball, my shots were perfect. I realized I was in a state of flow. The concept of flow was defined by Mihály Csikszentmihalyi in his book, Flow: the Psychology of Optimal Experience. A flow experience is when you are totally absorbed and focused on an activity.
When you are in flow, time flies by and you are totally immersed in the process. You are not aware of anything else around you. It is a powerful and fulfilling experience. Athletes call this being in the zone. Runners may call it runner’s high. A flow activity requires active participation such as writing, cleaning your home, working on a hobby, reading, or even engaging in a great conversation. Passive activities such as watching a sporting event or TV will not give you a flow experience. You will know when you have a flow experience because you will be totally in the moment with no thoughts of the past or future. Have you ever experienced flow when you write?
Why do you want to achieve flow when you write?
~It will enable you to have control over your concentration.
~You will focus your attention at will rather than attending to all of the incoming information that comes to you.
~You will develop your best skills.
~You can achieve your goals with more ease.
~The more you are in a flow state the happier and more productive you will feel.
~The more you understand about the flow process the better you will be able to avoid procrastination.
So how do you get into flow?
- You need to have clearly defined goals. This will help direct your attention to a purposeful outcome.
- You need to have balance between your skills and challenges. You don’t want a task that is too easy or you will be bored. On the other hand, if the task is too hard you may feel frustrated.
- Avoid multitasking. It is impossible to get immersed in an activity if you are not totally focused on it.
- Set aside a time to do non-productive tasks. Activities such as reading your e-mail, tweeting and making phone calls should be done at a defined time. These tasks can easily distract you from your activity.
- Limit environmental distractions. Before you start to work, clean your desk, make sure you have the equipment you need, adjust the temperature and make sure the noise level is optimal for you to work.
- What is your goal? Make sure you have broken the goal into achievable parts. If you are writing a book your goal may to write a chapter. You may want to modify your goals if you see they are too hard or not challenging enough.
- Adjust your goals as your skills increase. If you want to continue to experience flow you must adjust your goals to your increased skill level so you will always have an optimal challenge.
- Avoid engaging in mindless tasks such as TV. Mindless activities are usually passive and decrease flow experiences.
Have you experienced flow? How did it feel? How do you get your body ready to get into flow or in a zone for optimal productivity?
Reader Comments (21)
Limiting distractions is a must for me. I can get distracted with email and social media. I tell myself that I'll do social media for 15 minutes a day and check emails three times a day. Sometimes I stick to this and sometimes I don't.
I'm doing my best to avoid multitasking. More and more people are saying that it's not that productive. I'm beginning to think they're right. My mind goes in different directions when I focus on five things at once. This isn't very productive, and I stress myself out!
Being in the flow is essential for writing. When I write about something I'm interested in and want to write about I really am in the flow. Forget about everything else and suddenly realize that the day is passed.
Julia, great -- specific! - advice about how to get into a "flow state." I also find that it really helps to meditate for a few (five-to-ten) minutes before starting a task that requires high-quality focus.
Procrastination is often the underlying reason for not getting into the flow. If I find I'm getting stuck when I sit down to write a blog, I will give myself a deadline to write the post and distribute it -- say, half an hour. That puts a lot of pressure on me so I am forced to be totally focused and tune out distractions. It usually works and it liberates me from all the reasons why i can't do the post right now. Getting in the flow isn't always easy but when you're there you feel you can do anything.
Good tips Julia. I find as you mentioned what is your goal us helpful as you ahieve each step it is easier to go to the next part.
Also I do what I call Work in Progress. Each month I split out the projects, steps for each prohect and dates. It means I know what has to be done each day and week of the month and it does help to keep the focus and stay in the flow.
I like your comment about having clearly defined goals and I am going to work on that by choosing the subjects I want to write about.
I have been allowing my "muse" to guide me and sometimes I have been at my most productive at 2.00am. Flow is a wonderful feeling but not so great when you are surviving on too little sleep because of it.
Thanks Julia
Julia, your tips are so true. I have so many distractions and I can't get my creative juices flowing. I'm not a natural writer so I have to make sure that my mind is clear. Alas, I probably do everything you said not to do! Thanks for the advice.
I find that it is easier and easier to "get in the zone" with writing and have the words simply flow from my fingers on to the keyboard and the screen.
I think the more you write the more you can achieve this goal. It is wonderful when you get there, as you can write very quickly and the quality is excellent.
A few tips are:
Don't edit as you go. Just let yourself write.
Find enjoyment in the subjects that you are writing about. It doesn't matter if it is fiction or non, if you don't understand and appreciate what you are writing about, it won't flow.
Make sure you aren't interrupted (you mention this, but it is worth repeating). Turn off phones and allow yourself the luxury to create your piece.
Julia,
Whenever I visit your blog and read your post there is something I always learn from you. Today it was a master class on writing. For writers like me whose vision is to only write and do nothing else in life, this is a place they should come. Always.
Regards,
Suprio
Julia,
Being a blogger myself I tend to most of the time follow your rules without even noticing. Reading your post made me realize the things I have been doing at times I was more resourceful and also the things I didn't know I could do to help with the process.
Thanks for the post!
Rebecca
I use to be proud that I could do many things at one time. I considered multitasking a strength. I have learned over the years that I am alot more productive if I stick with one task at a time
Ann
I love the idea of meditation to get you ready for the flow state. I would imagine that that would help get you your body and mind ready to work. Thanks for the tip.
Susan
Thanks for the tip on having a works in progress list. That sounds like a great way organize several projects at one time.
Catarina
I agree if you are passionate about a topic it is easy to write about it.
Laura
Thanks for the great tips. I love to free write and just let the words come from my finger tips without paying attention to spelling or grammer.
Suprio
Thank you for your kind words.
Julia,
I have experienced "the flow" many times, most often while playing my Native American Flutes. When this happens I become one with the flute and the sound we make. Everthing else disapears, the mind becomes clear the music take me for a ride.
Have never had this kind of experience while writing. A new goal to stive for. Thank you for the inspiration.
Peace,
-Ron-
I love this post! Using racquetball as an analogy to "flow" resonates with me. I live for that seemingly effortless feel that I get with I'm "in the zone" playing tennis, or completely "flowing" as I write.
When I sit down to write my blog, I often have a variety of topics that interest me in that moment. I will typically write a paragraph for each subject, and then whatever feels best and most natural, again, in that moment, I pursue.
When I write, I also choose, what I call, "muse music", to further inspire me. And, I agree with Laura, that I find the ease/flow of writing happens best when I don't worry about spelling, grammar, etc... There is always plenty of time to edit, but when those words start flowing, you just have to get them out as quickly as possible with no worries.
Thanks for the terrific post!
This week all the blogs I have read so far seem to be speaking right to me! Writing has been at the core of my soul ever since I was a child, and I always dreamed that some day that would be my main focus -- but I allowed myself to become distracted and multi-task instead! I have experienced what it feels to be "in the flow" and outside of time, wrapped up in the world I am creating on paper (I have always preferred to write on paper first) -- would love to get to that place again.
Ron
I am not a musician but when I watch someone play from the heart I always imagine they are "in flow". Since you know what it feels like to be in flow you can begin to recognize it when you write. At first it may be for only minutes but it will slowly increase as you begin recognizing it.
Heidi
Thanks for the great tip on writing a short paragraph on each idea you have.
Donna
Good luck on getting back in the "flow" of writing. Limiting distractions will certainly help you get there.
Hi Julie, being in the flow is a requirement for my profession. As a painter I was very aware of what it took to get me there. Putting myself into a quiet space surrounded by materials I love to work with and being focused on the moment. Doing Plein Aire watercolor taught me how to submerge myself into the location and allow my self to become aware of only the details I wanted to paint. As a photographer I have found that the best way to get into the flow is to just be open to what shows up in front of my camera. Stay out of the technical and into the intuition. This is definitely when I am my happiest and most productive and having the ability to share it with others is icing on the cake. Great post and good tips!
I do find myself sometimes in the flow and sometimes not. If not, I can stay and get frustrated, or go out in the garden, for a walk or a simple meditation...At this point in life I do know that it will come back when I am ready. I'm not good at forcing it, that's for sure!
Hello Julie, Great list of specific to do's to get ready to write or any other task that I love, but sometimes avoid because I feel "too busy" I let the little things become more important than the big picture. Slowly I am learning to let go - adapting to do what gives me pleasure - and focusing on goals and the gates to get there. I want to write my little book!
Am in the flow when I design, read, hang out with my friends and experience wonderful moments, see beauty and eat chocolate!
Jennifer Duchene
The Home Makeover Mixtress blending Cool & Cozy Style.
Another very timely post for me as I am just starting my blog by getting a few posts written before I 'launch'. I am so easily distracted it's untrue and spend too much time doing unproductive things. I shall follow your advise and try to get into the flow of blogging as I love the feeling when I get into the flow whether it be cleaning, working out or whatever....