Undercover Flow Artists
Really, we are all Undercover Flow Artists! We’ve all likely felt small hints of STER during even some of the most seemingly humdrum tasks. However, when it comes to feeling hints of STER and achieving a solid MicroFlow state on a daily basis, the task seems difficult. As it turns out, there ARE those who achieve MicroFlow consistently and do so every day. Whether it was through intuition or purposeful intention, these Undercover Flow Artist have mastered the art of MicroFlow.
First, let’s talk about why it’s impossible, or nearly impossible, to be in Micro OR MacroFlow through a specific Flow medium all the time. A “Flow medium” would be any activity through which you can access Flow. In any Flow medium, even with action sports, we’re required to move through two stages of what’s called “The Flow Cycle” before we can tap into Flow. Even then, we must recover from the Flow experience due to it being highly taxing on the brain. Indeed, whatever level of Flow we’re talking about (Micro, or Macro), we must acknowledge that getting into Flow actually follows a cycle, and that cycle is Struggle -> Release -> Flow -> Recover -> Repeat.
The reason that we must move through the Flow Cycle is due to the fact that the brain is ALWAYS changing cyclically, BUT Flow is a specific physical brain state. In other words, the brain is always learning, taking in new information and adapting. In doing so, it severs connections and makes new ones. Thus, taking the brain into and out of the physical brain state that represents Flow. Moreover, the brain is highly susceptible to things like lack of nutrition, exercise and novelty, which can cause this process of adaptation to be less efficient. This means you’d have LESS access to the Flow state. On the flip side, plenty of nutrition, exercise and novelty, can cause the process of adaptation to be more efficient, meaning you’d have MORE access to the Flow State.
The reality is that the brain’s conditions are not always perfect, like a plant growing outside, the brain can’t help but undergo stressful periods. In other words, the process of adaptation is not always at its best. Additionally, our brains can adapt in such a way that we do not like. Here’s a simple way to think about this: The brain gets better at whatever it does often. So, if we’re not often getting into Flow, then our brain is getting better at being a brain that doesn’t get into Flow! The good news is that with proper training and nourishment, we can make our brains better at being brains that FLOW!
Let’s discuss each stage of the Flow cycle in more detail and along the way we’ll understand a bit more about why the Flow cycle makes it nearly impossible to Micro or MacroFlow through a specific Flow medium all the time. Those who live the Flow life do not simply Flow all day with one activity, they Flow with throughout their daily life with HUNDREDS or even THOUNSDANDS of activities. In other words, they access Flow through many different Flow mediums. Since it’s nearly impossible to Flow with just one specific activity, the only way to live the Flow life is to find many different ways to Flow.
