Monday Motivation

Week 3

STRENGTHS & FLOW

Today we are continuing on from last week’s theme of ‘purpose’ by focussing on strengths – something that can be really helpful for finding our purpose and fuelling motivation.

The things we are good at, are often activities that put us into a state called ‘flow’. This is when our skills perfectly meet the challenge of an activity, resulting in complete immersion in what we are doing. Have you ever been immersed in an activity, so much so that you’ve lost track of time? That’s what we call flow. In this state, the front part of your brain – the part responsible for worry – experiences a decrease in activity, enabling optimised function for the rest of your brain and in turn, more creativity.

So today, let’s find our flow.

“The happiest people spend much time in a state of flow – the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.”
– Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

1.

Watch this great summary video. It might help you think about the type of activity you could do to achieve a state of flow.
5 minutes

2.

In this TED Talk, Diane Allen shares her insights into how to discover your ‘flow strategy’ and how to apply this as a tool within everyday life.
13 minutes

3.

Today, try to find half an hour to focus on just one activity you are good at and enjoy, but something that still challenges you. Maybe you enjoy drawing, writing, yoga, or playing an instrument? Whatever it is, do this and only this for 30 minutes. Give it your full attention and be present with your strengths and the activity at hand.
30 minutes