Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi coined the term "flow" and is one of the eminent psychologists of the 20th century. Every time I revisit his work, I get something new...
In this video, he breaks down the three steps to flow...
1. Always Have A Next Step
When he says, "Flow doesn't come from long-term goals." and "You have to decide every move what the next move is..."
...I'm reminded of AI researchers Kenneth Stanley & Joel Lehman's stepping stone framework. We don't need to predict the opportunities in the world and our preferences for the coming decades. Rather, we just need to know the next step. Each step is a stepping stone to new possibilities we can't predict in advance.
When he says, "The song ends. But you don't play to end..."
...I'm reminded of James Carse's Infinite Games framework. If we find ourselves constantly trying to get to the end of tasks, we may be inadvertently sabotaging flowing.
2. Find The Optimal Challenge
When he says, "Balance between the challenge of the situation and yo…
