Evan Carmichael explains flow as deep focus that boosts creative output. He once completed a 2-day project in 2.5 hours by entering flow at midnight. His strategy: follow a structured schedule, but drop everything when flow arrives, because the quality jump justifies missing other deadlines.
Chapters
Flow. Go with the flow. It's not just an expression, it's a powerful way of living. It'll make you a better entrepreneur and a better person. When you try to force something, you don't get amazing results. On Monday night, I had an idea for my business, so I did what I usually do. I emailed myself the idea so I wouldn't forget it. And I continued with my day. After all, it was past midnight and I should be getting ready for bed. But I was feeling this idea. I worried that if I tackled it tomorrow, I wouldn't have the same energy or enthusiasm for it. The next steps wouldn't be as clear as they were to me right now. Because I was in flow. So I pushed off bedtime, sat back down on my laptop, and got to work. And it was great. I finished the whole plan, drafted 2 documents, and recorded 2 videos. I looked up and it was 2:30 in the morning. I didn't even know where the time went, but I managed to do in 2.5 hours what normally would have taken me 2 days. The end product was also better than it would have been if I worked on it the next day. It had more passion. It was something special because it was created when I was in flow. Pay attention to your flow. I have one of the most structured schedules of anyone I know. On Mondays I write, on Wednesdays I do videos, on Thursdays I take meetings. My days are split up into 1.5-hour chunks of time and everything is accounted for. Unless I get into flow. Flow changes everything. When I get into a state of flow, I keep working. I blow through deadlines. I push off other responsibilities. Because what you create when you're in flow is so incredibly valuable that everything else is secondary. Flow is rare. Flow's a funny thing. You can have it for an hour or for the whole day. Just like a baseball hitter who's on a hot streak, you can be in flow for weeks. But it'll disappear as quickly as it came, and you'll feel like you're in a slump, unsure of what to do next, not motivated by your business anymore. Forcing yourself to keep going. Capture your flow. So when flow does come to you, you have to run with it. It's critical. It'll help you make amazing things, truly wonderful, special things. What are you worried about? The other projects that you have to do are slowly killing you. Nothing impactful will ever come from them. So when flow comes, ride the wave for as long as you can. You owe it to yourself and your community. Believe.
