Last week I was in Chicago presenting to a number of small groups with a great friend and colleague, Joanie Muench. Among other duties, I was in charge of discussing the concept of flow. It got me to thinking. What do I know about flow? How often am I in a state of flow?
I wish I had found this short YouTube film a week before the Chicago gig, and not the week after. Oh well. Despite the less than ideal timing, I found watching this 5-minute animated film very helpful.
The only thing I might add to this film is that knowing my StrengthsFinder results has allowed me to direct my attention and effort to produce flow-like experiences with more frequency. I still stray from the path more often than I’d like. But reminding myself of my Strengths is a habit that forces me to think about where my natural talents lie and how to optimally grow skills related to these talents. Within the film you’ll see a graph that touches upon this idea. This graph suggests that it is the balance between increasing challenges while simultaneously growing skills that ultimately produces flow.
Let me know if you find this film helpful. I’m considering including it in my upcoming classroom discussions of flow and future presentations.