“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha

Have your ever lost yourself in your work, music, art, sport, or anything so much so that you lost track of time?

Being consumed by a task like that, while it can be rare for most people, is a state of being called ‘Flow’.

Put simply, it’s a state of mind you achieve when you’re fully immersed in a task, forgetting about the outside world. It’s a concept proposed by positive psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, and these days you’re likely to read about it on blogs and in all kinds of magazines.

When you’re in the state of Flow, you:

– are completely focused on the task at hand;
– forget about yourself, about others, about the world around you;
– lose track of time;
– feel happy and in control; and
– become creative and productive

Why is Flow Important?

By losing yourself in a task, you enjoy yourself more. You reduce stress while increasing quality output. At work, you get important stuff done instead of just getting things done. You achieve things rather than just keeping busy.