The Hindu Business Line : Do you `flow'?

Sometime back, we visited a ski resort with couple of our friends. We watched some experienced skiers navigate the sharp downhill with utmost concentration under freezing weather despite so many eyes watching them. They seemed to be in state of bliss, oblivious to their surroundings. It was striking that these skiers exhibited the same behaviour as successful traders. This behaviour is called the "flow". What is it?

Flow is the state where the person is totally immersed in whatever he or she is doing. The concept was introduced by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a professor in psychology at the Claremont Graduate University.

Professor Mihaly states that a person would be in a "flow" if the task at hand is challenging and demands concentration and commitment. To quote Professor Mihaly, "flow is being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you're using your skills to the utmost."

You may experience "flow" when you are playing cricket, solving Sudoku or trading in the market. It is also the reason why people climb the Himalayas, cycle across the world or do things that are not commensurate with the rewards.

"Flow" is part of a new branch of study called Positive Psychology which researches the strengths and virtues that enable individuals to thrive. Studies in this area have shown that people who are positive and express gratitude are more successful in life. If you want to be successful in your career, find a job or business that you can "flow" with and you do not have to "work" for life.

(The author is based in Surrey, BC, Canada.)

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