Flow: Interest, Intention and Growth

About 15 years ago, I picked up a book that provided me with great insight into the relationship between challenges and my experience of them. The book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a researcher at the University of Chicago laid out an intriguing case regarding our experience of life or work or recreation. Although based in research, it is written for a general audience.

Flow essentially is a dynamic event that occurs when the following are in alignment:
1) Our personal and specific interests
2) Our personal growth
3) The balance between our current skill set and our immediate challenges

While this underlying dynamic of neither being overwhelmed by too big a challenge nor bored by too little challenge relative to our current capability and capacity is much of the text in the book, it is important not to forget points 1 & 2 above.

The Power of Our Unique Interests and the Forming of Intention

Our interests, while shared in part with many others, are in their totality unique to each of us as an individual. Our interests and our intentions are intertwined and often take turns in the lead. While an interest may be serendipitous, an intention is a conscious choice. So at times our attention and focus is the result of chance and sometime it is the result of choice.

I love maps. As long as I can remember, I have always loved maps. I have collected many maps over the years. I still remember seeing a 70 year old textbook that depicted Oklahoma as the "Indian Territories", when I was 8 or 9 years old. I learned how to make a simple and accurate map when I was 12 years old and working on my first class badge as a boy scout. I took an elective in college called, "The Lure and Logic of Mapping", which I did simply because I enjoy it. I subscribe to a Geographical Information System (GIS) software publication simply because I find beauty in the intelligent maps that are depicted in the colorful publication. There is serendipity there.

I also use maps. I have planned sophisticated and complex excursions for my family, the Scout Troop I was leader of and businesses I have worked for using "real" maps and mapping software. I have created sophisticated statistical and planning maps to explain and explore business models and multi-year projects. Sometimes, I have done this work mostly in my head, because the tools for rendering a map do not quite capture what I have organized in my mental map. I love maps because they facilitate seeing the global view and the detailed view in context to each other and a good map allows you to quickly "zoom in" or "zoom out". There is choice there.

In giving you an example of one of my personal interests, I have easily written more than I intended.

When you begin to apply your unique interests in a purposeful and creative way you have both kept an intention and are well on your way to a flow experience.

Woven throughout my personal map-related experiences is also a tale of personal growth. My personal growth with regards to this aspect of my life is so relatively painless that it escapes my attention unless a take stock of it.

My appreciation of the design, construction, functionality and beauty of maps has grown along with my skill set in using mapping techniques to solve problems and organize complex information.

What passions or interests have you cultivated? How far have you grown with regards to these passions and interests?

When you are purposefully creating a personal legacy, there will be many timeless moments of flow and much growth with no pain. You will get stuck from time to time when the challenges presented by creating or creating your life fill you with anxiety.

Take comfort in knowing that the key to creating and the dynamic of flow only require that you take the next step whether it is working on your skills and resources or breaking down a big challenge into a series of more manageable challenges.