8.Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Good Business: Leadership, Flow, and the Making of Meaning (New York: Penguin, 2004), 42–43; for a look at how “shared clear goals,” a group flow trigger, work in organizations, see also ibid., 113–22.
9.Ibid, 43–44.
10.Adrian Brady, “Error and Discrepancy in Radiology,” Insights Imaging 8, no. 1 (December 7, 2016): 171–82; see also Stephen J. Dubner and Steven D. Levitt, “A Star Is Made,” New York Times, May 7, 2006.
11.Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow and Foundations of Positive Psychology: The Collected Works of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (New York: Springer, 2014), 191–93.
12.The majority of the dopamine triggers (risk, pattern recognition, novelty, complexity, and unpredictability) were first described in my West of Jesus: Surfing, Science and the Origin of Belief (2006) and later in The Rise of Superman (2013). For further reading, see Elaine Houston, “11 Activities and Exercises to Induce Flow,” PositivePsychology.com, May 29, 2020; Robert Sapolsky talks extensively about novelty, complexity, and unpredictability and dopamine at Robert Sapolsky, “Dopamine Jackpot! Sapolsky on the Science of Pleasure,” FORA.tv, March 2, 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axrywDP9Ii0. Complexity also shows up in Melanie Rudd, Kathleen Vohs, and Jennifer Aaker, “Awe Expands People’s Perception of Time and Enhances Well-Being,” Psychological Science 23, no. 10 (2012): 1130–36.
13.Ned Hallowell, author interview, 2012.
14.Kotler, The Rise of Superman and West of Jesus.
15.As far as I can tell, deep embodiment first shows up in the literature in E. J. Chavez, “Flow in Sport,” Imagination, Cognition and Personality 28, no. 1 (2008): 69–91. The idea is thoroughly explored again in The Rise of Superman and shows up repeatedly in work by Christian Swann; see Christian Swann, Richard Keegan, Lee Crust, and David Piggott, “Exploring Flow Occurrence in Elite Golf,” Athletic Insight: The Online Journal of Sport Psychology 4, no. 2 (2011).
16.Kevin Rathunde, “Montessori Education and Optimal Experience,” NAMTA 26, no. 1 (2001): 11–43.
17.For a full review of Keith Sawyer’s work on group flow and the group flow triggers, see Keith Sawyer, Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration (New York: Basic Books, 2017).
18.Jef J. J. van den Hout, Orin C. Davis, and Mathieu C. D. P. Weggeman, “The Conceptualization of Team Flow,” Journal of Psychology 152, no. 6 (2018).
19.Marisa Salanova, Eva Cifre, Isabel Martinex, and Susana Gumbau, “Preceived Collective Efficacy, Subjective Well-Being and Task Performance among Electronic Work Groups,” Small Group Research 34, no. 1 (February 2003).
22: The Flow Cycle
1.Benson, following in a long history of flow researchers, chose to rename flow (the breakout) in this book. Nevertheless, his research is dead-on. See Herbert Benson and William Proctor, The Breakout Principle: How to Activate the Natural Trigger That Maximizes Creativity, Athletic Performance, Productivity, and Personal Well-Being (New York: Scribner, 2004).
2.Abraham Maslow, Religion, Values, and Peak-Experiences (New York: Compass, 1994), 62.
3.Lindsey D. Salay, Nao Ishiko, and Andrew D. Huberman, “A Midline Thalamic Circuit Determines Reactions to Visual Threat,” Nature 557, no. 7704 (2018): 183–89.
4.Benyamin Cohen, “Albert Einstein Loved Sailing (but Didn’t Even Know How to Swim),” From the Grapevine, July 27, 2016, https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/nature/albert-einstein-fascination-sailing.
5.Research for the blockers is spread around. For “distraction,” see Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister, Peopleware (New York: Dorset House, 1999), 62–68. For negative thinking, see Jennifer A. Schmidt, “Flow in Education,” in E. Bakker, P. P. Peterson, and B. McGaw, eds., International Encyclopedia of Education, 3rd ed. (London: Elsevier, 2010), 605–11.; see also E. J. Chavez, “Flow in Sport,” Imagination, Cognition and Personality 28, no 1 (2008): 69–91. For low energy, see Stefan Engeser, Advances in Flow Research (New York: Springer, 2007), 62. For lack of preparation: A. Delle Fave, M. Bassi, and F. Massimini, “Quality of Experience and Daily Social Context of Italian Adolescents,” in A. L. Comunian and U. P. Gielen, eds., It’s All About Relationships (Lengerich, Germany: Pabst, 2003), 159–72.
6.Esther Thorson and Annie Lang, “The Effects of Television Videographics and Lecture Familiarity on Adult Cardiac Orienting Responses,” Communication, Media Studies, Language & Linguistics (June 1, 1992).
Index
The pagination of this digital edition does not match the print edition from which the index was created. To locate a specific entry, please use your e-book reader’s search tools.
Ablow, Keith, 91–92
Abundance, 8
action
awareness and, 4, 221–22, 239
energy required for, 24, 57
flow and, 101, 249
orientation, 101
successful, 24
turning information into, 166–67
action and adventure sports, 4, 83–84, 91, 152, 154, 157
action plans, 78
active listening, 147–48, 150
active recovery, 95–96, 99, 267–68
aligned personal goals, 252
alpha waves, 227, 263
always say yes, 255
amygdala, 37, 79, 86, 173, 208
anandamide, 24, 25, 47, 228–30
anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)
executive attention and, 176–77
flow and, 208
focus-based practices and, 178–79
good and bad moods and, 177–78
gratitude and mindfulness and, 178
insight and, 176
mood and, 177–80
salience network and, 173, 176–77
anxiety
lowering, 80–81, 92
misalignment of drivers and, 50
ontological, 235
the present and, 225–26
self-rumination and, 37
tolerance of, 62, 74
Ashtanga yoga, 82
attention
broadening of, 183
in exchange of information, 235
pinpoint, 216
in the present, 242
attention network, 167–70
autonomy
alignment with core beliefs/values and, 43
defined, 20, 41–42
driver of, 43, 44–45
as flow trigger, 234–36
need for, 42–44, 57
neurochemistry and, 44
peak performers and, 236
schedule, 46–47
“20 Percent Time” and, 44–45
autopilot awareness, 146, 147
autotelic experience, 222
awareness
action and, 4, 221–22, 239
autopilot, 146, 147
fear, 86, 87–88
self, 146
social, 146, 147–48
Barth, John, 192–93
Baumeister, Roy, 70, 71
beta waves, 226–27
big goals. See high, hard goals (HHG)
biology scales, 9–12
Bleiler, Gretchen, 201
blogs versus books, reading, 116–17, 118
Bold, 8, 38, 112
books, reading, 116–19, 122–27
“both/and” characteristics, 201–3
“bounce-back effect,” 78
brain. See also specific brain regions
attention network, 167–70
of creatives, 174
creativity and, 167, 170, 172
ecstatic meditation and, 215
emotional resonance and, 148
evolution and, 11
fight response, 231
goals and, 57–58
imagination network, 170–72
information into action, 166–67
left and right, 179–80
neural networks, 167–74
neurochemistry of reward and, 22–24, 51
as pattern recognition system, 183
purpose and, 37
sali
ence network, 172–74
signal-to-noise ratios, tuning, 31
survival and, 11, 20
burnout, 94, 96
business of creativity, 199–200
care/nurture system, 23
challenge-skills balance, 241–44
cingulate cortex, 168
clear goals. See also goals
about, 61–62
accomplishing, 270–71
best, 239–40
consideration of, 239
defined, 61, 238
as flow trigger, 62, 238–40
goal setting and, 63
list, 70, 74, 270–71, 272–73
shared, 251–52
CliftonStrengths, 140, 141
close listening, 252–53
cognitive load, habit of ferocity and, 102
cognitive reframing, 91–92
collective ambition, 252
collective efficacy beliefs, 255
communication, good, 253
compassion-enhancing meditation, 149–50
competence. See mastery
complexity, 247
concentration
complete, 221, 237–38, 251
as daily practice, 272
consequences, high, 244–46, 261–62, 265–66
control, paradox of, 222
convergent thinking, 205, 206
core beliefs and values, 43–44
core strengths, 139–40, 142, 274
creative brains, 174
creatives, as both/and, 201–3
creativity. See also long-haul creativity
about, 161–62
accepted definition of, 165
background, 162–65
brain structure and, 167, 170
business of, 199–200
as by-product, 200–201
constraints as driver, 184
decoding, 162–67
as emergent property, 196
feedback and, 195–96
flow of, 205–8, 249
free writing and, 189
importance of, 161–62
incubation and, 188
in infinite game, 14
limits and, 184–85
MacGyver method of, 186–87
neural networks and, 167
neurochemistry and, 229–30
non-time and no one and, 181–82
pattern recognition system and, 185–86
Poincaré cycle of, 163, 165
problem identification and, 187–88
in stacking practices, 276
stimulation practices, 178
training up, 174, 180
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly, 49, 201–3, 221–23, 233, 235
curiosity. See also intersections
active listening and, 148
as driver, 27
feeding, 33
list, 29–30
passion and, 29–30, 236–37
purpose and, 236–37
Darwin, Charles, 217–18
daydreaming, 181, 186
deadlines, 181, 185
Deci, Edward, 36, 42–44, 48, 57, 58
deep embodiment, 248, 264
default mode network, 171, 208
delayed gratification, 74, 153, 154
deliberate practice, 151
Diamandis, Peter, 38, 71, 97–99
Dietrich, Arne, 228, 229
disconnection, from meaningful values and work, 52
distraction management, 264, 272
divergent test, 205–6
divergent thinking, 164, 165–66
dopamine
flow and, 229
memory and, 32
passion and, 25
pattern recognition and, 132, 185–86
persistence and, 67
in production of attention, 235
pursuit of mastery and, 48
as reward drug, 22, 25–26, 27, 31–32, 51, 132
risk-taking and, 48, 88, 230
roles, 31–32
rush of, 31
social support and, 144
talking about goals and, 61
dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, 169, 226
drive
about, 18
evolutionary perspective of, 19–20
as psychological fuel, 50
psychology of, 18–21
question, 19
recipe for, 26–27
drivers, 20. See also extrinsic drivers; intrinsic drivers; specific drivers
Duckworth, Angela, 68, 69
“eat your ugly frog first,” 70
ego-depletion, 70
egos, blending, 253
80/20 rule, 137–38, 147, 194, 273
elaboration, 164
emotional intelligence (EQ)
areas of, 146
defined, 144
80/20 approach, 147
as high achievement indicator, 145, 150
impossible and, 144
emotions, 145, 149
empathy, 148–50
empathy-imagination exercises, 150
endorphins, 24, 25, 47, 150, 179, 214, 228–30
engagement, 31, 68, 69, 140, 221
entrepreneurs, advice to, 39
environment, rich, 246–48
Epstein, David, 154, 155
equal participation, 253–54
Ericsson, Anders, 151, 152, 153
errors in flow, 266–67
evolution, 11, 19, 21
excellence, 3, 65, 76, 99, 153, 244
executive attention
ACC in, 176–77
five regions and, 168–70
flow and, 207
system, 168
exercise
ACC and, 179
as incubation period, 179, 188
in long-haul creativity, 194
peak performance and, 47
training grit and, 275
in weekly practice, 274
expertise, 186
external triggers, 244–48
extreme innovation, impossible and, 1–5, 143
extrinsic drivers, 20, 21
extrinsic motivation, 42
“fail forward,” 245
failure, 75, 183, 252
familiarity, 254
fear
awareness, developing, 86, 87–88
as compass, 89
confronting, 87–88, 89
energy, as directional arrow, 85
feeling of, 84
as fundamental emotion, 85
grit in mastering, 83–85
impossible and, 84–85
language around, 86–87
mastering, 136
neurochemical system for, 23
peak performance and, 85, 89, 90
practice, 85–89
the present and, 225–26
as psychological driver, 20
weaknesses and, 92
feedback. See also immediate feedback
creativity and, 195–96
importance of, 74
minimal for flow (MFF), 241
public success and, 35
in weekly practice, 274
feedback loops, 240
ferocity, habit of, 99–102
Ferriss, Tim, 135–38, 147, 194–96, 238
five books of stupid
about, 122–24
approach to, 124
book one, 124–25, 126
book two, 125, 126
book three, 125, 126–27
book four, 125, 127
book five, 126, 127
exercise notes, 127
frustration and, 123
goal in reading, 123
five-step learning process
about, 121–22
ask the next question and, 131
be the idiot and, 122–23
explore the gaps and, 129–31
find the narrative and, 132–34
five books of stupid and, 127–28
fixed mindset, 72, 109
flexibility, 164
flow
background of, 211–17
as biological formula, 10
brain networks and, 207
caution, 266
characteristics of, 221–23, 233
core strengths and, 140
of creativity, 205–8
cultivating, 256
defined, 10, 214
dopamine and, 229
ecstasy of, 74
errors in, 266–67
example of, author, 212–13
in flow cycle, 258, 264–67
gratitude and, 80
group, 230, 276
impacts of, 10–11
impossible and, 11, 99
learning and, 157
neurochemicals of, 157
in paradigm-shifting breakthroughs, 230
proximal conditions for, 233
as reward, 157–58
sports athletes and, 156–57
staying in, 264–65
struggle and, 261
time and, 222, 225
flow activities, in weekly practice, 273–74
flow cycle
about, 257–58
flow (stage three) in, 264–67
recovery (stage four) in, 267–68
release (stage two) in, 262–64
struggle (stage one) in, 258–62
Flow Research Collective, 9, 80, 277–78
flow science
networks and, 230–31
neuroanatomy and, 224–26
neurochemistry and, 228–30
neuroelectricity and, 226–28
psychology and, 221–23
flow triggers
active listening, 148
always say yes, 255
autonomy, 234–36
blending egos, 253
challenge-skills balance, 241–44
clear goals, 62, 238–39
close listening, 252–53
complete concentration, 237–38, 251
creative, 249
curiosity-passion-purpose, 236–37
deep embodiment, 246–48
defined, 49, 233
in driving attention, 49–50
equal participation, 253–54
external, 244–48
familiarity, 253–54
good communication, 253
high consequences, 244–46, 261–62, 265–66
identification of, 233–34
immediate feedback, 240–41
internal, 234–44
intrinsic drivers, 50
layering, 275
mastery, 50–51
neurochemistry and, 51–52
rich environment, 246–48
risk, 88, 245
sense of control, 254
shared, clear goals, 251–52
shared risk, 252
social, 250–55
fluency, 164
formula, for impossible, 6–9, 10
free writing, 189
frustration
in creative process, 201
grit and, 76–77, 78
learning and, 123, 131
The Art of Impossible Page 28