The first aspect of Flow that we need to address is purpose. If I am going to be putting in all this work, there had better be some fundamental need that it satisfies. This has to be something for yourself though, since external motivators are weak and paltry things. However, I would argue that there is something that needs to come before purpose. I have spent many hours defining my purpose, but have yet to come up with something that will inspire me on days like today. Simon Sinek told us to “Start With Why”, but I am suggesting that you start with “How”.
This took me a long time to discover. It’s what gets me going on a day like this. I used to identify myself as a scientific researcher, but something never completely gelled. Then I started examining what I did on the days when I was low, like today; things I did without effort, that seemed natural. That thing, for me, was writing. I would write in my journal, and at some point start feeling good and be able to get to work. Then I realized that my scientific papers were just writing, though of a very specific kind. When I found it hard to get going, I would start typing a paper (even if the ideas were still ill formed) or write about something I know, trying to present it in a unique way. Before you knew it, I was effortlessly working. Writing about those things made me interested in them, and I slipped into a state where I wanted to do more. In this blog, we will still explore the “how” much more deeply.
No matter how lofty and inspiring your purpose, attempting it without having your “how” in place will lead to failure, or at least to the thing being a hell of a lot harder than it should be.
Utilizing the how, by writing this journal, I am now closer to the state I want to be in. By writing about it, I am now keen on experimenting with flow states and techniques. What is more, it has made me accountable, since I intend on this being a truly honest record. Which means I need to get to work.
The Flow Diaries 