3 Flow Blockers That Kill Your Effortless Performance and Fun at Work
Have you ever looked at those who make it all happen so effortlessly?
They get so much done in a week or a month and seem to enjoy their work truly, and the most mysterious of all - they're not STRESSED!
I used to wonder too.
And here's what I've found out: they spend a lot of their time in the high flow state - or as some put it - in the zone.
The good news is that every high achiever can unlock the flow state to make work effortless and create impact more effectively.
And also really enjoy it because of the neurochemistry happening in the body when we are in the flow state.
I will write about it on a separate occasion, as t is a big topic.
In recent years, I've spent hundreds of hours studying the flow state, how to get into it and what blocks us from accessing it. The flow science is relatively new, so new research is being done as I am writing it - I want to dive into the flow blockers today.
I will give you a couple of tips on how to overcome them, as
when I started my adventure with the flow a couple of years ago, these were game-changers for me.
So let's dive in.
FLOW BLOCKER number 1 - Exhaustion
I have worked with over a hundred high-achievers in the past five years, and with most of them, we had work to do some work in this area.
Most of them put in long hours, often on the weekends, at the cost of their sleep, fitness, and physical and mental health.
The exhaustion level varied. Some were chronically tired, and some were on the verge of burnout.
I found myself in a state of exhaustion when still living my corporate life. I remember some friends told me that I looked like a zombie and should see a doctor. I laughed it off and boarded another plane for the week's second or third business trip.
I felt tired but did nothing about it. I had no time to slow down. Eventually, my health pushed the brakes for me.
High achievers' problem is that their super high resilience gets them going.
They push through and add to the vicious cycle.
This strategy, unfortunately, is not helpful here at all.
You need to be rested to get into the flow.
Active recovery is one of the 4 phases of the flow cycle for a reason.
So now, let's see if this is where you might want to start getting closer to unlocking the flow state for yourself.
Let's start with checking in where you are now.
If I asked you to assess yourself on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 means "total exhaustion" and 10 - "I'm well-rested"- where are you now?
You might not notice that you are tired or how tired you are. So watch yourself over the next few days.
Assess every day when you wake up if you feel rested and during the day if you feel energized (or need coffee to keep your eyes open).
If you're under five on the scale, take the "Peak Performance Formula" scorecard.
It will suggest an array of quick fixes you could put in place to improve your state.
You might also want to watch this short video, "Running on fumes," for some quick hacks.
What practices help you stay away from exhaustion if you're higher on the scale? What could you do to stay there consistently?
FLOW BLOCKER number 2 - Distractions
Distractions are a huge topic in our super busy, permanently-on culture.
Let's look at an example of the distractions coming from the outside.
Many companies believe that instant messaging software speeds up communication and increases productivity. But, very often, the opposite is true.
Usually, this is because leaders don't communicate clear rules and expectations around using such software.
As a result, the software bombards you with constant notifications,
and you feel you must be available and respond immediately to every message. Don't you?
I hear it significantly more often from leaders and teams from the IT industry.
Some told me that their bosses actually verbalize this expectation.
And if this also is your boss's message, you want to be brave and have a conversation about your work priorities.
Let's not forget that being a high achiever often means having an internal boss who tells you to do things your real boss would not, and we might not have noticed the difference.
Does it resonate?
If you lead people, you want to look at the issue from 2 perspectives.
If you expect such availability from your team, you want to evaluate if this expectation should be the same of all roles on your team. An employee who answers trouble-shooting service calls might have to be on top of the incoming calls. A knowledge worker who needs to create some thoughtful presentation needs to unplug and create space for cognitive creativity.
If you have never considered that issue, you want to assess who of your high-performers might be listening to their internal boss and assuming that it is you expecting to be always available to them.
Communicate your expectations more precisely to your team when focusing on deep work and what time frames are acceptable for what type of communication channels.
Be brave and encourage them to block their focus time for their most important work and model it to them.
Let's get back to interruptions and assess what such an interruption causes:
First, jumping from one thing to another costs attention and productivity.
Your mind needs time to switch between topics.
See the video about attention residue to learn about it and its cost.
Second, this switching attention costs energy and adds to exhaustion, which will block your access to the flow state.
Third, every task needs longer than it would if you did it in one go.
So you have to work longer to catch up, or you opt for working at night - when it is peaceful and quiet - so nobody disturbs you.
And this is at the cost of your sleep.
Would you like to remove this flow blocker?
The easiest way: block the focus time on your calendar.
Have a conversation with your boss about why you will do that if you feel they expect your instant availability (which they most probably don't).
The best practice:
Morning time when you're still fresh is usually the best.
You can check your chronotype by taking a short assessment to have more precise timing.
Start with 90 min and add more time as you go.
What works for me is 3-hour blocks: I take 90 minutes, then a short break to move a bit, and then again 90 minutes.
Experiment with what works best for you.
What might be helpful is setting a timer or using productivity-boosting music (check the Focus@Will app - I use it often when writing).
Now let's also talk about self-inflicted distractions.
These are also obliterating your flow access.
Check the notifications section on your phone.
Do you get info about missed calls, new e-mails, text messages, invitations, meetings starting in 10 minutes, products added to the online shop, posts added to social media, and more?
The problem is that our neurobiology does not help here either.
We are all quickly hooked on dopamine created by novelty, so we are on a constant lookout for new things that provide us with this neurochemical kick.
So it is good to keep that in mind and do a detox from time to time.
How about you join me for a week in the dark mode?
Switch off all the notifications on your phone, except for food deliveries, so you don't go hungry.
Expect that you will be anxious for the first two days, but after that painful time with FOMO (fear of missing out), you will realize how FREE you feel.
On the weekend, try the grey mode on your smartphone.
Go to your phone settings, find Display > color filter > Greyscale.
It's pretty interesting to see how fast we put the phone down if all is grey on the screen. Experiment with that option for a while and watch how much less time you spend on Social Media.
FLOW BLOCKER number 3 - Lack of clarity
Not knowing your objectives at every moment is one of the most significant flow blockers. At least for me.
Lack of clear direction creates overwhelm and increases your stress levels.
You do much busywork, most low-value activities that take you away from your path.
It is a must for you to know what you need to do next, so you stay on course. As a high flow leader, you want always to think way ahead and be an expert in breaking it down into clear, daily goals.
And it is even more critical for your team if you want them to have more flow in their work.
So, let's check in: how clear are you about your direction and the next steps on average day and week?
Assess yourself on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 means "complete clarity."
Where are you?
If you're under 8, take a piece of paper and write down what you want to achieve. Then break your big goal down into years, months, weeks, days.
List all the steps you need to take to get there.
The more specific you are, the more clarity you have while working on the goal, and the easier it is to get into the flow.
I hope it was helpful to create a bit of clarity around what you might need to do to get closer to the flow state or have more of it in your life.
Every little step counts - it is all about compounding.