Not Too Hard, Not Too Easy: Finding Flow In Your Work

You sit down to work and you lose yourself in the task at hand. You feel alive and engaged. The concerns of everyday life fall away as you immerse yourself in the work. You experience a sense of progress and with a quick look at the clock you’re flabbergasted to see hours have passed by seemingly unnoticed. You were “in the zone” or, as psychologists say: you were in flow. Being in flow is connected to having greater job satisfaction and job performance, a win-win scenario for you and your work. Flow is the sweet spot of work between boredom and anxiety (see chart below). The goldilocks zone of not too hard, but not too easy that keep us learning but without frustration. When you find the perfect balance between these two extremes, flow (and all of the happiness and fulfillment along with it) comes naturally. But finding flow doesn’t happen naturally, it takes a series of mindful adjustments to how we work. Flow Issue #1: Too Little Challenge Boredom is the result of having skills that far outweigh the present challenges. You can begin altering boring tasks by finding ways to make them more challenging. By raising the challenge you can bring higher levels of skill to the activity. Optimize and gamify the mundane tasks If the task is too boring or unchallenging, you can lament the easy task, or you can get it out of the way as soon as possible so you can focus on the good stuff. Make your hated task a competition, you versus the clock. The goal becomes clearer, you know if you’re successfully making progress, and you have something to shoot for. For example, long distance runners fight apathy by always trying to beat their last time. In the office, some pride themselves for getting to “inbox zero” as fast as possible. You don’t have to time yourself at your desk, but there are probably things you can do to help you master your task, or at least help you get it out of the way. Learn the keyboard shortcuts. Find tools that streamline the task. Find inefficiencies in your workflow and stomp them out. Now, it becomes something you’re using to challenge yourself with the task itself as well as your problem solving skills — and you’re finding flow where before there was only tedium. Remember productivity is about living purposefully and getting to the things you enjoy most. Become an expert in the task Instead of staying at the surface level of understanding, challenge yourself to become an expert in some component of the task. Hate filling out redundant paperwork? Maybe you can propose a more streamlined system to save yourself time and your company money. Or better yet, you can learn to build it yourself. You can learn the ins and outs of the software you use to complete unchallenging tasks and improve the way you complete your work more quickly or with less effort. Not only are you more likely to experience flow, but you may just develop some skills that make you truly indispensable for your organization. Also, many entrepreneurs start businesses after becoming frustrated with a process that should be smooth and fast, but isn’t. Suddenly, your lack of a challenge can become an education in the nuances of your craft. You may just develop some skills that make you truly indispensable for your organization. Flow Issue #2: Too Much Challenge On the other hand, anxiety is the result of too much challenge and not enough skill. A certain amount of tension between skill and challenge is necessary to find flow and to continue pushing your skills to improve. When the gap between challenge and skill is too great you can’t experience flow. Get help from a mentor In a work environment, the two quickest ways to reduce the challenge are getting a deadline extension or accepting help from someone with greater skills in the specific domain you’re dealing with. A quick email to a mentor, buying a coffee for a senior member of the team, or flat out asking someone for advice about how to proceed; your options for reducing the challenge of a task are numerous if you’re willing to simply ask. The benefits are two fold: you get some outside perspective to help you and you build your network, one of the most important things you can do for your career. Acknowledge where you lack skills and improve Tip the skill/challenge ratio away from anxiety by elevating your skills in the domain that’s causing you problems. Identifying where you are falling short requires a bit of self-reflection and honesty, and may even require the help of an honest friend. Take the task holding you back and commit to focusing on it for thirty days. Creating a habit of deliberate practice will help you break through the skill barrier that’s causing anxiety. You aren’t going to be an expert after a month of focused skill attainment but you’ll certainly be headed in the right direction. It’s easy getting into a habit of helplessness, one where we feel like we’ll just never be good enough. But in a world of free online courses, meetups, and other free resources, you have a ton of control over finding and learning the skills you need. *** Experiencing flow at work is probably one of the best signs that you enjoy your job. Elevating your awareness of the skill/challenge ratio of your daily responsibilities allows you to begin taking control over how much flow you experience on a daily basis. Your job satisfaction is not the responsibility of others and it’s not something that happens if you’re “lucky enough” to have the right kind of job — it’s up to you.

George Saunders: Idols Are Overrated

When George Saunders had a book signing for Tenth of December he had some choice advice for those who have tried to emulate their idols and failed (much as he found himself with Ernest Hemingway). “You go up the mountain of your idol,” he explained, “but when you get to the top, you realize they’re already there, and that mountain is never going to belong to you. So, you go do your own thing and it’s more of a shit-pile than a mountain at first, but it’s yours. It’s your shit pile. And that’s not nothing.” Saunders followed this up by encouraging us to think about our “natural modes” in order to infuse our writing with our own unique energy. For example, think about how you are when you’re hanging out drinking in a bar with your friends. Are you a naturally funny person? Then maybe it would be easier for you to write something humorous rather than trying to force yourself to pen some verbose, elitist, nihilistic manifesto because you think that’s more ‘legitimate’ for some reason. “You can’t run from who you are,” Saunders said. “Not your brain, not your inclinations, or your experience. So accept your shit – run toward it, use it.”

Amy Poehler on Taking Advice From Your Future Self

Amy Poehler recently appeared on the By The Way, In Conversation with Jeff Garlin podcast, and talked about how her perspective on things has changed between now and when she was 25. Poehler says she used to get so worked up over things that, in hindsight, didn’t matter. And now when she feels in crisis, she asks older-her for a future perspective. Sometimes when I feel in crisis or down, I try to give myself advice that the older me would give, I try to think about what a 90, 80-year-old version of myself would say. [I'd say], “You’re beautiful, you’re great, it’s fine.” Right? It would always be “you’re fine, you’re fine, look at you, you’re walking, everything is fine…” [Older people] just aren’t that interested in feeling sad. When you’re in your twenties you can spend the whole f***ing day feeling bad about yourself… But when you’re old, you just don’t have the time.

Shut Up and Listen

Unless you’re a solo freelancer, chances are you will eventually be thrust into a leadership position. As creatives, we must embrace this challenge and not shy away form it, as a fear of being a leader can subconsciously hold us back from advancing in our career. Being entrusted with a leadership role in your workplace requires a shift in mindset. Leaders cannot afford to compartmentalize like the worker. They must simultaneously juggle the long- and short-term while inspiring those around them to do great work. But being a great leader is hard, and great leadership is hard to understand. “Leadership” is a term that’s been abused. Everybody wants it, no one’s quite sure what it means. As a new leader, first try to adopt three specific (often counterintuitive) mindsets of good leadership: You may think you have to have all the ideas yourself and a direction worked out before assuming a leadership role. Fear not, you just have to shepherd the ideas to life. Instead, you must be a steward of people and ideas. Stewardship is the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to you. Some people think leadership is a matter of consenting, as in politics, of choosing the lesser of two evils. But leadership is not all tact. Instead, have a point of view (or better yet, a worldview) and don’t be afraid to say it aloud, repeatedly. Say what’s in your heart. People are attracted to this quality. To paraphrase Steve Jobs: if you don’t have a burning desire to execute an idea or solve a problem, you’ll never stick it out. To become a leader you don’t have to excel at just one thing. Instead, put yourself in uncomfortable situations as often as possible. Stretch your parameters. This develops the improv muscle. A good leader can find comfort and calm — the still point — in any situation, and this skill only comes from taking smart risks. To paraphrase Steve Jobs: if you don’t have a burning desire to execute and idea or solve a problem, you’ll never stick it out. New leaders typically were once solo players now thrust into the new and uncomfortable position of managing others. It can feel like being air-dropped into a foreign land with no food or water, left to your own devices. The first step is to accept the learning curve and take on the challenge. Then know that you’re not the only one to ever manage this transition. Counterintuitively to most new leaders, many times the most effective form of leadership is stepping aside and letting others take over. In nimble, creative organizations work is completed on a project basis and led by whomever is most interested and skilled to suit a particular project regardless of age, experience or job title. To evolve as a leader is to concede ownership of a project, or at least share ownership. Ownership of the work is an incredible motivator and can lead to a flowering of talent where you least expect it. Furthermore, it encourages true collaboration and teamwork. The hard part is fully giving up control of a project. It takes trust and a reasonable allocation of risk and tolerance for failure. But it also can lead to great reward. At some point, it’s a necessary step in the evolution of a leader. The sooner you attempt to let others rule, the better off you’ll be. Managing others can seem like a lot to handle. Thankfully, the tactics for the new leader add up to doing less while paying attention to more. Ask questions and listen. Find out what really motivates your people, what they’re passionate about (hint: it’s probably not money or status). Pay attention to ways you can create links to an employee’s specific passions. Encourage conversation around inspiring topics and follow the energy by asking, “and what else?” Check your impulse for telling and instead (again) ask more questions. A natural leader’s directorial nature, while it’s usually an efficient tool, sometimes can be a hindrance. It’s amazing what information develops out of not talking. Make an attempt to ask questions and allow your people to figure things out for themselves. In stead of saying things like “This is wrong because…” try asking “What do you think needs to be changed?” or “How do you think that went?” This is a much more powerful method of learning that can lead to new insight and more conviction in an individual’s own ability to lead. Once you grant accountability, give it fully. Determine your role in a project up front. Are you to be consulted before a decision is made? Do you take some responsibility and over which parts? It’s really difficult not to take over if things go bumpy once you’ve granted accountability for a project to someone else. But do your best to offer yourself as a resource and step out of the way. And be sure to stick to your guns, having an inconsistent leader will drive most workers crazy. Give and receive helpful feedback after every project. When a project is over, find out what worked and what didn’t. Post-mortem check-ins work great for this. Discover the gaps or fears inherent in your employee’s style and find ways to keep chipping away at them. Give new opportunities when they arise or develop “stretch projects” around an employee’s interests. — How about you? What is your advice for new leaders?

Replace “Um” With A Breath

On his site and in his classes, communication coach Bill Smartt shares some incredibly helpful, and easy to apply tips that’ll help even the most fearful public speakers feel at ease. Here are our favorites: Make eye contact often. When addressing a crowd, make eye contact with different audience members for 3-5 seconds each (when talking to one person 7-10 seconds is ideal). This will make the audience feel more connected to what you’re saying, and will help you feel like you’re having a casual conversation instead of presenting formally. Smile. Even if you’d rather jump out a window than get on stage, smiling (even if it’s fake) before you begin and whenever you can throughout. This will tell both your audience and your brain that you’re happy to be there. Breathe. Replace filler words like “um,” “like,” or “and” with a breath instead. This will also help to slow down your heart rate and keep you feeling grounded. Practice. Try recording your presentation on your phone, practicing in front of a mirror, or rehearsing with a friend. This will help you identify any filler words you gravitate towards, whether you’re talking too fast or too slow, etc. Having these small improvements in mind can also help replace the otherwise looming, “Dear God, this is going to suck” thoughts you might otherwise have. Keep it simple. Breaking your ideas down into small bite-sized thoughts will not only help your audience stay engaged, but it’ll also be easier for you to find a rhythm and not get lost in any tangents.

Charles Bukowski: Don’t Waste Your Life

Author Charles Bukowski in a letter to a friend about finally “breaking free” of his job and being able to write: And what hurts is the steadily diminishing humanity of those fighting to hold jobs they don’t want but fear the alternative worse. People simply empty out. They are bodies with fearful and obedient minds. The color leaves the eye. The voice becomes ugly. And the body. The hair. The fingernails. The shoes. Everything does. … So, the luck I finally had in getting out of those places, no matter how long it took, has given me a kind of joy, the jolly joy of the miracle. I now write from an old mind and an old body, long beyond the time when most men would ever think of continuing such a thing, but since I started so late I owe it to myself to continue, and when the words begin to falter and I must be helped up stairways and I can no longer tell a bluebird from a paperclip, I still feel that something in me is going to remember (no matter how far I’m gone) how I’ve come through the murder and the mess and the moil, to at least a generous way to die. To not to have entirely wasted one’s life seems to be a worthy accomplishment, if only for myself. via Letter of Note

Custom Wood Radiator Cover Hides Old, Ugly Heaters

If you've got an old, ugly radiator acting as a sore thumb in an otherwise well-appointed room, you're not alone. Some of the most popular posts here have been on hiding radiators with cabinets and heater covers that hide baseboard vents. If none of those solutions work for you and you've got the money to have something custom built, you could invest in hand-crafted wood radiator covers that blend seamlessly into a room's decor. The handsome angled mahogany radiator cover here looks so much like a window seat that you wouldn't even guess that there is a heater underneath. It's the work of John Carlton Custom Woodwork & Furniture, and something like this will cost you $2,200.