Productivity Hacks VS Flow State? 🤔
Which is better, productivity hacks or achieving a flow state? You may be able to use both, depending on the day.
While you can pick up valuable tips to become more productive, productivity hacks can be robotic. They can get in the way of your creativity. They can also get in the way of making your day flow naturally. There may be a time and place to use productivity strategies. There may also be other days when it is more optimal to reach a flow state.
Productivity Hacks
Common productivity hacks are widely discussed in the self-development sphere: time management, to-do lists, waking up earlier, going to bed later, et cetera.
The core component of productivity hacks is self-discipline and self-responsibility. You are dedicating time and attention to tasks that can improve your life. At the same time, these tasks can begin to feel robotic and inhuman.
Robotic
Your life can feel robotic when you do the same daily tasks but seem to be going nowhere. Productivity and time management hacks can often feel robotic.
The repetitiveness of productivity hacks can become annoying. They may be counterproductive. You may avoid doing a task you know you need to do simply because it is on your to-do list.
Sometimes being self-disciplined and having a routine is the best medicine. It may not be enjoyable, but consistency is vital to success.
I keep a to-do list just to keep me on track. It is just a way to keep myself organized and not fall behind. It is how my brain works. It can feel robotic and may not work for everyone.
Goal-Setting
It is still critical to know what your goals are. You will be part of someone else’s agenda if you do not have any goals. There are different types of goals. Three common goals are:
Short-term goals
Medium-term goals
Long-term goals
Gamifying Goals
Gamification has become a popular way to reach goals. You reward yourself once you reach a goal. There is a psychology behind gamification. Bitcatcha summarizes the four reasons why gamification works:
It gives you control.
It provides a map of where you are and where you are going.
Gamification helps to reward positive behavior.
Gamification offers a sense of achievement.
Focus On What You Love
You want to focus on what you love doing. It is likely where your skill set aligns with your obsession. You then want to find some way to make money from your obsession since money is required to live and prosper.
There are different ways that people often refer to this. One way I have seen it referred to is to “follow your passion or obsession.” I would go one step further and say that you must find a way to monetize whatever you are passionate about.
What you are obsessed over will often be what you are most skilled at. It is best to focus on your strengths rather than your weaknesses.
Discover a way to monetize what you love doing. Profit from your obsession.
Flow State
You may be in a flow state when you are so focused on your tasks that you overlook that time is going by. The task that you are spending time on comes naturally to you. You do not have to think about what you are doing or working on. It flows through you onto your paper or the project finishes.
You may think to yourself, “Wow! That was easy, and I loved every second of it!”
Find Your Flow State
The flow state is the alternative option to productivity hacks. The flow state feels more natural when you get into it.
Flow is often thought of as a woo-woo thing. I initially believed that when I first heard of it. I first learned about the flow state while attending a virtual health conference in 2021. One of the speakers discussed the flow state. The speaker went over the steps to reach a flow state which are:
Set clear goals.
Make your activities just challenging enough.
Make it easy for your to focus on your task.
Eliminate distractions.
Take care of yourself when you are in the flow state.
Eat, drink water, and be sure to get enough sleep.
Turn off your phone and social media.
Create a ritual to help to get you into the flow state.
I respond to my emails and phone messages in the morning. I usually work best in silence, although I sometimes play “focus” music. It depends on the task. I usually have water or some drink near me to provide little breaks.
Know yourself.
You want to learn the things that you like and dislike. The activities you enjoy will often be the ones you will more likely enter into a flow state.
You can find ways to continue learning while performing an activity. Self-learning will make it more difficult. The added learning component adds a challenge. This is referred to as finding your challenge/skill balance.
It is more the connection of finding the obsession with what you love doing and are good at. Society tells people to focus on the wrong things, which results in wasted time, resources and being able to reach one’s full potential.
When you focus on a single task or activity, you get into a flow state. The flow state is also commonly called “in the zone.”
You may be in a flow state if:
You are doing a task at your skill level without being too difficult.
You are doing something that you enjoy doing.
You feel like you are doing something which gives you a sense of purpose.
You can experience improved performance in achieving a task.
You will be more motivated to finish a project.
You can dedicate more time to a task because you enjoy it.
I write most of my articles in the evening or early morning when I am most creative. I then work out during the week as my schedule allows. I respond to most of my emails and tedious tasks in the morning when I am less creative.
The average time someone may experience a flow state can range from a few minutes to several hours. It varies for each person and the task that is being done.
Which One Is Best?
Productivity strategies and being in a flow state are very different ways of approaching a task.
Either/Or?
You may prefer being in a flow state. However, you may not always be able to do it. If you are doing something you enjoy, you are more likely to experience it. You may still have some off days.
By thinking that it is an either/or choice, you are falling for the false dilemma fallacy.
Is it an either/or scenario choosing between productivity hacks and flow state? Maybe not. There are some days when you just may not be able to get into the flow state. You must finish your tasks on those more difficult days by practicing self-discipline.
Productivity hacks can still serve a purpose. Do not throw them out because you do not like them. You may not always be able to achieve a flow state. Productivity and time management strategies can help you on those days.
The tasks I hate doing are those I can’t enter a flow state. For those tasks, I must practice self-discipline and do them. Even though I know I do not want to.
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Summary
A flow state is more enjoyable than productivity hacks. The problem is everyone experiences off days. You may not be able to get into a state of flow on those days. The difficult days are when you must practice self-discipline and continue to manage your time to reach your goals.
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