Flow

Flow is often described as a peak human state. There’s certainly some truth to that. And it’s not the full story. The term “shitty flow” has been used to describe flow states that are not aligned with excellence and our values. You can get in a flow state answering endless emails and doom scrolling on instagram. How do you feel after? Perhaps tired, but certainly not satisfied or fulfilled. It has some (not all) of the hallmarks of a flow state, and yet it is life draining. Shitty flow doesn’t challenge us, it does drain us.

Flow states that are engineered toward what is deeply meaningful? These are often found at the edge of our ability and are deeply challenging. Creating a masterpiece, deeply studying a topic that is mentally enriching, working toward skill mastery in a chosen endeavor, training or competing on the edge of our current skill level…these flow states still often leave us tired, but the tired is accompanied by a deep sense of satisfaction and meaning.

This, my friends, is what some of life’s best moments are made of. Ditch the shitty flow. Do whatever you must to put safeguards around the things that distract and pull us toward it. Guard your time and attention as sacred. Let them flow freely toward the right things. This is a life worth living.