Anyone would be hard pressed to find someone who has not experienced a day where they were insanely focused. We all know what it feels like to be so enveloped in our thinking that we just lose track of time. Whether it is reading a book for hours on end, playing a video game and not realizing the sun has set, or working on a personal project only to glance at the clock and notice that six hours have magically passed, we all have had these special moments. This special moment has many names, but for the sake of conversation let us define this long-term focus as a State of Flow. This special state is really important to understand as it can be used as a tool rather than a random event that occurs in everyday life.

Using a State of Flow

Before we explore how to use this tool, it is important to understand why this is even relevant to a professional career. Employees who enter a State of Flow on a regular basis are much more productive and probably much more happy as a workday is not an unbelievable amount of time to work, but more of a restriction of the work that could be done. While a regular 40 hour work week is thought to be the necessary amount of time for any business to be successful, this simply isn’t true. The last two hours of any workday are well known to not be the most productive hours. No human is meant to focus eight hours straight on a regular basis; having the expectation that anyone can focus for such a long period of time is just hopeful logic.

Naturally, everyone would be happier if they could work less but still get more work done. The State of Flow is the answer to this simple puzzle. If employees came in every day and immediately got into “the zone” with their work, there would be no need to work such long hours. Additionally, the time spent at work would be productive. When the work is done, there would be no need to keep that employee working. Once concentration is broken and an employee struggles to focus, a business is better off letting that employee rest rather than forcing out what little energy a person may have left.

How to Step Into a State of Flow

All of this sounds like a very nifty and simple solution to a rather big problem, but how is this possible? Also, if it was this easy to identify what is needed, why does no one use this State of Flow? These are both valid questions worth answering. The short answer is that companies actually are already implementing these tactics. Let’s take a look at the how and why above.

In regards to the how, making a State of Flow occur on command is nearly impossible without practice. From what I have found, humans have a hard time performing at a high level consistently. Take musicians as a prime example of how hard it can be to achieve a State of Flow. While many people can play an instrument and sing, few people can nail a solo and hype a crowd. Those musicians who can go on tour and week after week giving stunning performances usually practice for insane amounts of time to get to that level.

So naturally, answering the Why isn’t everyone using this? question is simple: the State of Flow is not easy to summon. Most people don’t want to put in the huge amount of effort is takes to achieve a State of Flow. There is a lot of preparation that is required to achieve these high levels of concentration. For many businesses, this nirvana of concentration might not even be an option with the current infrastructure.

Transforming Businesses

For most businesses, employees do not have the opportunity to practice their craft for years with the same group of people. Most jobs don’t allow an employee to work in the same environment for the duration of their job. These barriers can definitely inhibit a person’s ability to focus, but I believe some companies have overcome these hurdles by changing what they are in control of: the environment.

Rather than focusing on the employees and their decisions, it is more important to focus on a business and the decisions it makes to treat their employees. It is already common knowledge that focusing takes a lot of energy, minimized distractions, and some type of internal interest in the thing that is being focused on. To enter a State of Flow, these basic conditions have to be met. Luckily, a company can control these factors.

If focusing takes energy, a company can provide energy. Whether that energy comes from nice views, free snacks, or enthusiastic management, there are numerous ways to increase the amount energy in a building. Attitude can play a key factor in employees mindsets. If a company encourages a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset, with the expectation to learn rather than expecting cutthroat knowledge, the vibe can change drastically.

Minimizing distractions can be really easy to achieve. Taking a simple look around the office is a good first step. Asking employees what distracts them is another. Even in cubicles, there are creative ways to help rearrange desks and build the environments workers feel most comfortable functioning in.

Lastly, internal interest is something companies are largely in control of from day one. In the hiring process, it is essential that employees are asked if they want to work at a company and how their personal interests align with the job. Even at work once they are hired, it is important to keep tabs on how employees want to grow as a professional and to give them opportunities to do so.

Reaching a State of Flow

After meeting these conditions, a company can create an environment that encourages a State of Flow. As I stated earlier, it is near impossible to just achieve a State of Flow on command. It takes years of discipline and practice, but it can be done. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have the set of circumstances that allows us to work at such a high level. Rather than trying to control what can’t be controlled, it is best to create the environment that encourages professionals to achieve such as state. The benefits of reaching a State of Flow can mean more work gets done in less time with happier employees. Everyone wins at the end of the day when a State of Flow is achieved.