The fifth strategy from the list of 12 self-management strategies is to get into the “Flow.” What is it? People are happiest when most absorbed in their actions, a state that Csikszentmihalyi termed “flow.” The book, Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life (Masterminds Series) by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is a classic on the subject.

Finding Flow
How do you lose track of time in your job? Make a list of the things that you do at your job where you achieve flow. My list would include activities that I do. Where I reach flow are: writing wireframes or doing mockups for my new websites, organizing and planning a new project, reading four business books on a flight from NYC to Seattle, or coming up with new ideas and outlining an appropriate action plans.

In my jobs as a product manager or VP, I achieved flow when I: created an process for competitive intelligence and specific tools to track competitors; created materials for sales trainings; created a go-to-market and sales strategy; and created a marketing department by outlining job descriptions, work functions, estimating time on activities to derive an estimated headcount required to staff my new department.

Why Are You Achieving Flow?
Why do you think that is? Review your list of activities or things you do. Are there common themes? Do you see the same or similar skills being used over and over to achieve flow? From my lists, I can tell that I like creating new things, I love organization and planning, I love reading business books, and I enjoy using the same methodology to create new programs, strategies, or departments.

Build a Job, Build a Career on Flow
How can you build your hobby, job or your career around it? Now that you’ve reviewed your list, how can you tweak your job to best utilize the skills or activities to achieve future flows? Do you see an eventual career out of the patterns you see?

I was able to jump into a new career by identifying my flows. The skills and work behind my flows made me realize that I am entrepreneurial. I made a career change, leaving a VP position in healthcare technology to work full-time for our LLC, which by the way started off as a hobby, but then turned into a business, only to be acquired by MTV. Find your flows, and then figure your the next job and career moves.

Previous Post: The 12 Simple Self-Management Strategies

• The 12 Simple Self-Management Strategies: Simple Self-Management Strategy #1 - Create Your Own Luck
• The 12 Simple Self-Management Strategies: Simple Self-Management Strategy #2 - What haunts You in Your Job?
• The 12 Simple Self-Management Strategies: Simple Self-Management Strategy #3 – Leave Emotions at Home
• The 12 Simple Self-Management Strategies: Simple Self-Management Strategy #4 – Throw It Out or Store It

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