How to Achieve Flow State for Ultimate Peak Performance

Well, most people I've worked with, most high performers, especially women, women are often working in a masculine way, which is just going, going, going, rise and grind. Well, we got to back away from that and reboot. Okay. So that those positive neurochemical cocktails can be released and activated into our nervous system. Flow state is one of the most powerful and euphoric states of mind that you can possibly be in. And the beautiful part is you don't need medicines, you don't need drugs to activate flow state. You just need to reverse engineer some practical habits to create the focused, aligned state for flow state and work on a worthwhile task that causes you to get absorbed and immersed in the task. So today, I'm going to break down what is flow state, why it's so powerful for you activating your highest levels of joy and life satisfaction, but also how to reverse engineer it and some other pathways, even supplements that can help you enhance that. And then times a day, things like that, that we're going to use to maximize your chance to get flow state. So without further ado, let's dive into one of the most powerful videos you can find on flow state. So flow state, let's start with what it is. One of my most favorite examples is when you see athletes that just are locked in the zone and they're just nailing it. They're just perfect. Like they can't miss a shot. They're making every pass or catching every ball, or they're just unstoppable. And you can tell that they're just immersed in the zone. And you can also see it in teams where they're so perfectly in sync, right? Team sports can be a great illustration of that. Where they're just in harmony and in this unconscious state of mind where they're so connected, they're just in synergy. Okay. But you can also see it in a speaker. Sometimes when you walk into a conference or an event and the speaker is just on fire, you can feel his or her presence and that they are dialed in and that they are bringing their energy and bringing their presence and their mind is locked in. Their nervous system is locked in. Their heart is locked in. We can feel it sometimes in our work. Like, if I had business partners, for example, in my real estate business, I had a business partner who came back from 2 weeks of vacation in Norway and he sold 10 houses in 1 week. He was just absolutely on fire. Why? Because he was in this heightened state of joy. His emotions and his energy was at a peak state and he was ready to go. He was focused. He was bringing his energy and his presence to his work. Okay, so we can all do that. That's one of the cool things about flow state. All right, so let's talk a little bit further about the scientific side of what it is. Well, Dr. Mihaly— I'm not going to try and say his name, but you can see this big long name— he was the original researcher in the '70s who coined the term flow state. And he's one of the original founders or co-founders of the positive psychology movement with Martin Seligman, also has expanded that in the '80s and '90s with a lot of his great books like Learned Optimism. But Dr. Mihaly described 8 characteristics of flow. So, the first characteristic is a complete concentration on the task at hand. Okay. So, you're just immersed in it, you're absorbed in it, nothing else matters. Okay. Like, while you're in flow state, you might forget to eat, you might forget to use the restroom for a little bit. Okay. You might lose track of time. Second thing is you got clarity of goals and reward in mind and immediate feedback. Okay. So you've got this huge clarity which creates precision. So you know where you're going and it creates a target to go after. Okay. The third thing is this transformation of time, which is either speeding up or slowing down, where you're kind of just losing track of time and it doesn't really matter. You just absorb and it feels great to be in this flow state. The fourth thing is the experience is intrinsically rewarding. So when you're in flow, it just feels really freaking good. And that's why, and we'll talk about the neurochemical cocktails that are released while you're in flow state, but what happens is because it's so, feels so good, it's one of the most rewarding states and people who often live the longest and happiest lives, guess what? They had the most amount of flow state in their life on a regular basis. Okay. The fifth thing is there's a sense of effortlessness and ease. So they're just locked in. It feels good. You're in your zone of genius, but you're also in your present. You're not distracted. So that effortlessness and ease really flows. 6, there's a balance between challenge and skill. Here's what I mean by that. Back to the 3 zones. If you're in your comfort zone, it's not going to activate flow state because you're not being stretched. You need enough of a challenge. So if you look at big wave surfers and riding the 100-foot waves and they keep stretching beyond, well, they know if they, they screw up, they might die. Okay. They got to lock in and be so freaking present. Okay. So the challenge, but also you don't go from, from surfing a 20-foot wave to 100-foot wave. You might go from a 20-foot wave to 30-foot wave or 30 to 40. You don't jump so far beyond your comfort zone. Okay. So, balance between challenge and skill. Because if you go from comfort zone to discomfort zone and then to paralysis zone, which is usually 20% or more beyond your comfort zone, then you're screwed. Okay. Most people are going to melt in that at some point. But if you go from your comfort zone to your discomfort zone where it's just challenging enough, like 10 to 20% beyond your comfort zone, you've got a real chance to activate flow state. It has to be a task or activity that is enjoyable and challenging for you. Okay. Seventh thing is there's actions and awareness are merged, losing self-consciousness and rumination. So meaning you're not thinking about all the things tomorrow, yesterday, you're not reflecting on all those things. You're just present. And if you watch Michael Jordan in The Last Dance, they ask him, hey, Jordan, are you worried about— you ever worry about the shots? you know, making the game winner the next day. He's like, no, I'm, I'm not going to worry about a shot I haven't taken yet. He's just so present. One of the greatest gifts of Michael Jordan, why he was so good and so locked in, is he was so present to the moment. Okay. And you see that over and over and over. People that are in their best and locked in the zone, they are present to this moment because the present moment is the only moment you have to live. You can't live in the past and you can't live in the future. If you do, you kind of piss all over the present. Okay. If you have one foot in the past and one foot in the future, you're pissing on the present. So that old phrase that is kind of crude, but I like it. Okay. The eighth thing is there's a feeling of control over the task, meaning you feel like you control the outcome and you influence outcome because you do. And it has a real effect, which autonomy empowers you and creates this sense of like, hey, I'm going to make a difference. Let me continue on. How do you, or what are the benefits of creating more flow state? And one of the major benefits is it releases all these positive neurochemical cocktails, which is not an exact list because the research is still unwinding and being developed. But we know there's 6 major neurochemical cocktails that are released. All right. The 6 neurochemicals that are released are some of our favorites. Some of the things that make us feel the best. The first one is dopamine, which creates a sense of pleasure, reward, and motivation, makes you feel focused and energized and engaged in activity. So, raises your sense of enjoyment, satisfaction, and even a desire to continue and excel on the task because you're getting this dopamine reward, right? So, that's a big one. Okay. And, we've heard all about dopamine and how important it is. Well, the next one is norepinephrine. Norepinephrine increases focus and intention. It makes you feel alert, attentive, and in tune with your surroundings. Also enhances your ability to process information quickly and react effectively. So, that's one of my favorite ones as well. So, it just increases this focus state. Okay. The third one is endorphins. Endorphins increase feelings of euphoria and well-being. They can produce a sense of joy, contentment, and natural high. Endorphins continue to create a positive emotional state and diminish the perception of pain or discomfort. That's why athletes, when they're in the zone, they might sprain their ankle, but they play on through it because they're locked in and they're playing their best. And their ankle might swell up the next day, but in that game, they're still locked in. Okay. Fourth one, serotonin. Serotonin promotes a feeling of confidence, contentment, and happiness, and it creates a sense of inner calm, satisfaction, overall well-being. And contributes to a positive mood and sense of fulfillment. Now, I will also mention, if you are running on the edge of burnout, okay, which I talk about burnout in a couple other videos, if you're running on the edge of burnout, guess what? Your neurochemicals, these positive neurochemical cocktails that you need to experience flow state, you can't even get them in many cases because you have too much cortisol flooding through your nervous system if you're so stressed and so anxious. and you're just so far on the edge of burnout. So, the first thing to even be able to create the capacity and option for more flow state is actually back away from the edge of burnout to get more rest, rejuvenation, because we so focus in American culture on exertion and not renewal. Well, most people I've worked with, most high performers, especially women, women are often working in a masculine way, which is just going, going, going, rise and grind. Well, we got to back away from that and reboot. Okay, so that those positive neurochemical cocktails can be released and activated into our nervous system. The fifth neurochemical is anandamide. I don't know how to say it exactly, but it creates a general sense of bliss, relaxation, emotional upliftment, and helps enhance feelings of pleasure and happiness. So, continues to just elevate this positive state of mind. And then of course, the sixth one, we love this one, oxytocin, creates a feeling of trust, connection, social bonding, and expands the sense of warmth, empathy, and openness towards others. Oxytocin contributes for positive social aspect of the flow state, especially when you're talking about positive social interactions. So that's why like team activities, or when you're in flow with your partner, your loved one, right? Or business partner, you're working on a team retreat, you can get in a flow state, right? Where you're so present and immersed. But, so these 6 neurochemical cocktails are feel-good cocktails, and that's why they can also help enhance your life, your relationships, your sense of joy, sense of connection. And it's why it's so important to create more flow state. If you have a total absence of flow state, you're not going to experience a lot of this love and joy. Okay? We want to create more of that. I'm going to break down now how to reverse engineer and program more flow into your normal life. First thing is not all energy quadrants are the same value. Meaning, I have about 3 to 4 hours a day of peak emotional energy. I don't have that at 4 o'clock in the afternoon or 2 o'clock. For me, my best energy, my best focus, where my energy, emotional, mental, physical energy is at its peak, is usually before noon. Okay, like I'm recording this video before noon right now because I want to be locked in and fluid and connected. Okay, so value those 3 or 4 hours of peak emotional energy at a disproportionate amount, meaning I look at those as like $1,000 an hour activities. Okay, I don't want to do $20 an hour tasks in those windows. I want to do my best, most creative work that I need flow state. I don't need flow state to pay a bill. Okay, or to handle basic administrative work. Okay, so ideally, I want to give myself, you 90 to 120 minutes. All right. So, here's the program. Besides maximizing your peak window of emotional energy, next piece is give yourself 90 to 120 minutes of uninterrupted focus. Meaning, put your phones down, no dings, no distraction. Let your team know that you're locked in. And, this can be for a leader getting out from behind the laptop. Go into a café, read, journal, write, reflect creatively, do thinking time. Where you're stretching yourself beyond, okay? Because this is where you want to work on your most vital tasks. That might be a sales process, might be a new program, might be a partnership agreement, might be an offer that you're creating, or whatever it may be, or your best content if you're a content creator, okay? So again, step outside of your comfort zone, find the balance between challenge and skill. Next thing is devote 5 minutes each day to managing distractions. As your workday concludes, prepare for tomorrow's session by disconnecting from any disruptions that hinder your concentration. So this is where you take a step back from your email, your social media, your texts, and phone notifications. Let them rest. Okay, so you create this buffer to center back in and then also create another 5 to 10 minutes to craft clear list of goals before wrapping up your workday, laying the groundwork for tomorrow. So you don't come in anxious and worried about tomorrow. Okay. Another thing I would do is a gratitude practice. So, do 20 minutes of gratitude mindfulness because this creates this activation of a positive state. All right. Where you're releasing and receiving gratitude. Okay. Next one, fifth thing is invest 25 minutes in stimulating pattern recognition by exploring topics outside your core expertise. This is where you're looking to work on the 80/20 principle during that 25 minutes. All right. So that's a big piece of like stretching yourself, continuing to like stretch beyond and grow. And the next thing is get restful sleep, good, high quality, restful sleep, ideally of 7 to 8 hours. Not everyone needs that. I don't always need it myself, but you want to get your energy up. Okay. And this is where exercise comes into play, where you got healthy amounts of exercise. That is not over-inducing for cortisol. Like some of my clients, they have too much cortisol in their system, so they need more restorative exercise instead of this overexertion, so burned out, so just depleted. All right. And then, next thing is find, ideally on a weekly basis, dedicate 2 to 6 hours, 1 or 2 times a week to engage in activities that just bring you pure state of flow. And that can be something that's just joy, right? So I get in one of my joyful flow states is on Monday evenings when I play basketball with my buddies or sometimes pickleball. All right. So I get to play basketball. That puts me in this flow state of play, of connection. Right. I'm not thinking about tomorrow and the stresses of the day. The other thing I would do is like about twice a week, I will, especially Sunday morning, I have massive amount of flow for my work. I get my most important tasks done. And work on those things during that working block. That's usually 3 or 4 hours. No one's trying to bug me, meaning I don't have any meetings, et cetera. And I get to just immerse myself in a task at hand. So that's a big piece. Okay. We already talked about exercise as well. And then active recovery. So this could be after a workout, after a high work period, create 20 minutes or so for active recovery sessions. Like, sauna, massages, indulging in long mind practices, quick walks, you know, 20-30-minute walks. This can be with your partner where you go on a walk and you discuss the day. You leave your phones or you put them on airplane mode. All right. You need less consumption and more spaciousness. And then, a few other things you want to look at is look at your social interactions. This will be the last one I'll mention is on your social interactions, think of How do I create these interactions where I'm just really present to one another? I put my phone down. I'm not in interaction on my phone. We're not all distracted. I'm immersed in a great dinner. Great experience with some friends. Okay. So, in this case, you're releasing more oxytocin together. And that's a really beautiful state. So, I encourage you guys, take action on flow state. Now, I'll give you guys a few other resources to check out. Steven Kotler has a phenomenal book. I think it's the best book on it called The Art of Impossible, which is where I got a lot of this information from as well. And then Dr. Mihaly's original book called Flow is really, really good too. Goes through the science of it. And a few other books hit on that too, but those are the two best ones. All right. So I hope you guys enjoy that. Let me know how you enjoy flow state and if you have luck. And challenge, or you find some challenges in activating flow state, I should mention one or two other things that will help you too. Some of us might struggle with ADHD, and so some of this breathwork or even supplements like Adderall, as obviously medication is good for helping create that focus. I don't recommend it long-term. It changes your brain chemistry quite a bit. But there's other activities that can help enhance that, or other supplements like Ashwagandha, Gotu Kola, if I remember how to say that correctly, and a few other things I do. This Genius Consciousness and Genius Mindfulness supplements, they're called nootropics, which are brain-enhancing or focusing supplements that create this beautiful activation and connection so you can activate more flow state. Matcha also creates, it causes your body releases L-theanine. Which is a calming, focusing substance. So, love matcha for that. That's why, one of the reasons I do that every day. But, let me know if those are helpful. I'll put in Ujido is my favorite brand there. So, highly recommend that. And then, also, if you have some brain fog and fatigue, then I would also highly look into NAD. My favorite brand, most effective brand is Genfinity's Vitality Boost. It is easily the most the most effective NAD boosting supplement on the market. But what it does is it basically boosts up your cellular energy or your metabolic function. So, your body is more effective at utilizing and creating energy, which means your brain is going to be sharper, you're just going to be more focused, you're going to be able like, boom, boom, boom, like ideas and thoughts are going to flow. So, I highly, highly recommend NAD optimization as well. Sometimes microdosing. Microdosing won't necessarily create, and this is of like psilocybin, Golden Rule is a great company for that. I got the link there too and discount code. But, um, microdosing basically can reduce your anxiety and then help you activate more focus, but not while you're actually on the medicine because it often creates— stretches you, um, into a, uh, not a focus state but a diffuse awareness state. Okay. Which, when you come back, you're focused. But when you're— when the medicine is hitting, you're diffuse, meaning you're open in your nervous system. So I don't recommend that as much for, um, um, the— if you want to lock in, it's not going to create that lock-in immediately. More than nootropics will. Okay, so if that's helpful, have a great day, guys, and be sure to like and subscribe and share this with someone else that would like more flow state and wants to be in a peak performance zone. Talk soon.