I’m passionate about flow for two reasons. First, I find the concept utterly fascinating. Second, I’m convinced that flow is an absolute key to happiness, success, and well-being. If I can learn to experience more flow, that can make a big positive difference in my life. If I could learn to enter and exit flow at will, that would be powerful beyond belief. I need flow, and lots of it, for my growth and fulfillment (I think we all do).
This is, in many ways, the book that introduced the concept of flow to the world. I’m in awe with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. While I never got to meet him, I imagine he was a most wonderful person–wise, curious, thoughtful, kind, warm, approachable, creative, quiet, yet profound.
I agree with almost everything he wrote, and I think his ideas about happiness, flow, and the meaning of life were spot on.
“Csikszentmihalyi arrives at an insight that many of us can intuitively grasp, despite our insistent (and culturally supported) denial of this truth. That is, it is not what happens to us that determines our happiness, but the manner in which we make sense of that reality. . . . The manner in which Csikszentmihalyi integrates research on consciousness, personal psychology and spirituality is illuminating.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review
The bestselling classic that holds the key to unlocking meaning, creativity, peak performance, and true happiness.
Legendary psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's famous investigations of "optimal experience" have revealed that what makes an…
“WOW! Flow is awesome! It’s super powerful. If I can learn how to experience it more often, that will have a huge positive effect on my life.”
That’s what I thought to myself when I read Kotler’s description of flow. I love the book’s engaging and sensational style. It’s the book that got me excited about flow, and, as such, it will always have a special place in my heart.
Gifts from a Challenging Childhood
by
Jan Bergstrom,
Learn to understand and work with your childhood wounds. Do you feel like old wounds or trauma from your childhood keep showing up today? Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed with what to do about it and where to start? If so, this book will help you travel down a path…
I love reading scholarly articles and books. In my opinion, this book is the #1 academic book on the subject of flow. It’s absolutely packed with information on the subject.
Some of my favorite chapters were those on the autotelic personality (which character traits facilitate or hinder flow?), the psychophysiology of flow (what’s happening in the brain and body during flow?), and flow in the context of work (what are the benefits and what are the factors that make flow at work more or less likely?).
This second edition provides a review of the current flow research. The first, thoroughly revised and extended, part of the book, addresses basic concepts, correlates, conditions and consequences of flow experience. This includes the developments of the flow model, methods to measure flow, its physiological correlates, personality factors involved in the emergence of flow, social flow, the relationship of flow with performance and wellbeing, but also possible negative consequences of flow. The second, completely new, part of the book addresses flow in diverse contexts, in particular, work, development, sports, music and arts, and human computer interaction. As such, the book…
I picked this book because it highlighted to me an important job as a coach and (hopefully future) father: My job, among other things, is to help kids enjoy what they do. If I demand too much or too little of them, I put them in a challenge-skills imbalance; as a result, instead of experiencing flow, they’ll experience boredom, frustration, or anxiety.
If I want to help them develop intrinsic motivation and fulfill their potential, I must put them in a challenge-skills balance so that they can be in flow and experience the activity as enjoyable and rewarding.
The book points that out very well. (It also shares other reasons why some kids go on to cultivate their talents and develop their abilities while others don’t.)
Talented Teenagers is a fascinating and absorbing examination of what makes adolescents tick: what roles personality traits, family interactions, education, and the social environment play in a young person's motivation to develop his or her talent. Vivid descriptions in the students' own words bring the material to life. Parents, teachers, psychologists, and counselors will find in these pages concrete information abou the conditions that foster the cultivation of mental abilities in adolescence, for both the gifted and the average student.
Gifts from a Challenging Childhood
by
Jan Bergstrom,
Learn to understand and work with your childhood wounds. Do you feel like old wounds or trauma from your childhood keep showing up today? Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed with what to do about it and where to start? If so, this book will help you travel down a path…
I enjoyed reading this relatively short book and often found myself in a mild flow state while reading it. I especially enjoyed reading about Jackson’s story (she’s one of the world’s leading experts on flow). She has a chapter in which she shares a recent experience of adversity she had to go through. She details her struggles, her coping strategies, and what she learned about flow in the process–fascinating!
I also like how she introduces the reader to other people in the world of flow (e.g., Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi). My favorite chapter was the one in which she explains how anxiety can get in the way of flow and how acceptance can be helpful in dealing with anxiety. I especially enjoyed the stories she shares about Steve Hayes, Kelly Wilson, and Akshay Nananvati–each of them found their own way to embrace and accept anxiety in order to live a happier, more fulfilling life.
Experiencing Flow: Life Beyond Boredom and Anxiety is a transformative guide that unlocks the secrets to achieving optimal experiences and living a life filled with purpose and joy. Dr. Susan A. Jackson, a renowned psychologist and author, takes you on a captivating journey through the life-changing concept of flow – a state of complete absorption where challenges are met with skill, time seems to stand still, and enjoyment reaches its peak.
Drawing upon her extensive research, interviews, personal experiences, and close collaboration with the founder of flow, the legendary Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Dr. Jackson provides a comprehensive understanding of this optimal…
From top athletes and successful coaches to world-class creatives, famous artists, and major companies like Toyota, Patagonia, and Ericsson—they are all singing the praises of flow, the state of total absorption in an activity. Decades of research have shown that flow holds the key to peak performance, skill development, and well-being. Flow is special because it combines high enjoyment with high performance.
This book takes you on a groundbreaking exploration into the fascinating world of flow and shows you how to experience this elusive state with greater ease and frequency.
