Chick Sent Me High ee on Flow

err Not the cute chick or chick.. definitely not at all.

Actually, I was talking with a friend about being blah blah blah.. blah blah.. and puff.. "flow" came into the picture.

So.. what chick am I referring to now, eh?

Chick Sent Me High ee is the pronunciation for Csikszentmihalyi.. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.. an American psychologist of Hungarian/Transylvanian root.

I was "introduced" to Csikszentmihalyi and his "flow" by one of my superiors at my previous work place of 12 years - Mr SK.

I would say that Mr SK adoptation of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's "flow" in managing our tasks and responsibilities is highly effective and very much not the mainstream of the nine to five working hour.. particularly not our non-profit organisation.

Simply put.. whatever tasks and responsibilities that we are to do.. we do it because it is the right thing to do.. and we do it as accordingly as.. to our very own unique self.

err One urgency does not equate to others then eh?
hmmmm

Anyway.. Csikszentmihalyi describes "flow" as:
- being completely involved in an activity for its own sake
- the ego falls away
- time flies
- every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one
- your whole being is involved
- and you are using your skills to the utmost

In simple terms Csikszentmihalyi's research showed that people who were generally unhappy "doing nothing", were generally happy doing things, and generally knew very little about what made them happy.

How does it feel to be in "the flow"? Csikszentmihalyi discusses “flow” as follows:

1)
Completely Involved, Focused, Concentrating
– with this either due to innate curiosity or as the result of training

2)
Sense of Ecstasy
– of being outside everyday reality

3)
Great Inner Clarity
– knowing what needs to be done and how well it is going

4)
Knowing the Activity is Doable
– that the skills are adequate, and neither anxious or bored

5)
Sense of Serenity
– no worries about self, feeling of growing beyond the boundaries of ego
– afterwards feeling of transcending ego in ways not thought possible

6)
Timeliness
– thoroughly focused on present, don’t notice time passing

7)
Intrinsic Motivation
– whatever produces “flow” becomes its own reward