For a task to be truly satisfying, we need to be able to enjoy the work for its own sake, instead of just taking pleasure in the end results. For that to happen, we need to become fully absorbed in what we do.
Flow is an important part of any kind of success. It’s a word that’s often used in positive psychology and it describes a state of complete engagement with a task, to the point that you lose track of time and want to continue working on the task as long as possible. If you’ve ever forgotten to eat lunch because you were so absorbed in finishing an essay, or hit a sweet spot on the running track where you were aware of nothing but the rhythm of your feet, you’ve experienced a “flow” state.
These experiences are intrinsically rewarding: we enjoy them whether or not they bring us any other benefits. A task that allows us to be in a state of flow brings us clarity and feelings of accomplishment, whether it’s great or small.
How do we find flow?
A key to creating flow states is to find tasks that let us feel what Robert J. Vallerand, Professor of Psychology at the Université du Québec à Montréal, calls “harmonious passion.” This comes when we engage with tasks that we feel are a part of us, as opposed to what Vallerand terms “obsessive passion,” which happens when we fear we will suffer or be punished if we don’t complete a task that we don’t really identify with.
Suppose you teach mathematics, and you not only find your work interesting but consider it central to who you are. In this situation, you’re not just someone who teaches. In your self-concept (who you believe yourself to be), a very important part of your personal definition is that you are “a teacher.” Under the right circumstances (see “Harmonious passion,”), tasks that you enjoy and that fully engage your attention when teaching, will usually lead to a state of flow. The same is true no matter what our vocation: flow comes from tasks that we are passionate about and that align with our values and identity.
Conscious control
Of course, sometimes we need to do everyday tasks that aren’t central to our identity. In these situations, we’re required to use “attention” as opposed to “absorption” (see “Quality or quantity?,”). A 2011 international study for the Journal of Management Studies found that, perhaps predictably, workers who felt a harmonious passion for their jobs were more likely to become absorbed in them, and also found it easier to pay attention. The unexpected news, however, was that people who didn’t feel this harmonious passion were nevertheless capable of both absorption and attention—they just needed to approach their jobs in a flexible way so that they could still create a flow state for themselves. This might involve taking ownership of a task, or fostering an interest in it.
When it comes to managing your focus—whether it’s a project that you’re passionate about or just a mundane task—it’s useful to have some self-knowledge. What’s at the core of your identity? What are your values and real interests? The more you can approach a task in this spirit, the better chance you’ll have of becoming absorbed in it—and the more rewarding the experience will ultimately become.
Quality or quantity?
Psychologist N. P. Rothbard identifies two factors that are crucial to cognitive engagement.
1—Attention: the quantity of our focus. It is concerned with the amount of effort we put into keeping our minds on a task. It:
- Is under our conscious control.
- Is finite, and wanes when we grow tired.
2—Absorption: the quality of our focus. It is concerned with how intensely immersed we are in a task. It:
- Arises spontaneously from the right mix of circumstances.
- Is self-rewarding; we may get tired, but can still stay focused and may not notice time passing.
an engaging challenge
The concept of flow was first proposed by Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. According to Csikszentmihalyi, we achieve this state of contented immersion when we meet a task that’s reasonably difficult—not beyond our capability, but something that stretches us and demands our full concentration. In the graph below, flow is shown as one of a number of mental states that can result from attempting a task, depending on how challenging the task is and how skilled we are.
Harmonious Passion
Psychologist Robert J. Vallerand observes that feeling a harmonious passion for a task—that is, our interest in it is deep enough to be part of our identity—can greatly improve our performance. If we feel we’re doing something that reflects our feelings and values, it adds another layer of engagement, because it involves us on a deeper level.
