Going with the Flow State

It’s that time of year again. I am sharing my yearly theme. It feels like only yesterday we were radically realigning in the wake of the pandemic. Then in 2022, we made meaningful connections. In 2023, we engaged purposefully. And in 2024, we spent the year rising.

Time really flies. Or, I guess, flows.

With those four themes behind me I can look back and see the path they’ve created that leads to the spot where I am today. To me, a theme has always been the opposite of a goal—if a goal is a box you check, a theme is a space you fill. It feels fitting then that this year’s theme came to me so naturally: Flow.

What does it mean to flow?

Flow is very much about space. A liquid flows, and the definition of a liquid is a state of matter that can take the shape of its container. So flowing is a two-step process: creating a space and then filling it.

In more concrete terms, a flow state is a concept initially coined in 1975 by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihályi in his book Beyond Boredom and Anxiety, which he describes as the melting together of action and consciousness. He points out that although there’s a commonly held belief that external rewards such as money, accolades, and prestige are primary motivators for any given behavior, there are plenty of activities people engage in for the intrinsic reward of the task. For example, sometimes people climb mountains without any desire to reach the top; they just enjoy the climb. This is also true in creative endeavors, where artists may enjoy the act of creation more than any drive to achieve an external reward for it. 

This state of optimal attention is called “flow state” because it’s often described in metaphors about water. Many describe a flow state as floating or being carried by a current—experiences where movement occurs without effort. A flow state is one in which a person has gained effortless attention on a creative task. People in flow states report feeling absorbed in the work, losing track of time, and feeling a sense of enjoyment or achievement in the task itself. For those who have experienced a flow state, hearing it described may elicit a reaction like, “Oh, so that’s what that’s called.” For those who haven’t, it may sound like wizardry. 

What’s interesting is that Csikszentmihályi’s research wasn’t focused on work; it was focused on joy. Flow is about aligning with the current of not just your imagination, but the situations you find yourself in, opportunities that come your way, and generally just allowing yourself to feel happy and at peace. The foundation of flow isn’t getting the best output, it’s doing something that makes you happy just to do it. Something that matters, and something you care about. 

Applying Flow as a theme

The past few years have been about rigidity: doing all the things I need to do so we can show up prepared and nothing slips through the cracks. But flow is about setting myself and my team up for success, and then not forcing it. Flow is what happens when you just let it go, and trust the current to take you to the right place, the right time, and the right action. It’s about trusting the people we work with and for by giving them everything they need so they can flow, too. 

This year has a LOT of uncertainty, so I’m trying to be mindful in each moment as it occurs. Running a business and serving our clients is never easy, but I want to hold more space to let things move as they may. Where do I want to go, exactly? I don’t know right now, and I don’t have to. I will let it flow. 

So this year, it’s going to be hard but I’m trying not to force it. Things happen when and how they’re supposed to. Sometimes you have to surrender and trust the process.