Goleman concludes from the study that the high achievers are motivated by the flow they find in study. However he berates the low achievers for not honing the study skills which would stand them in good stead in the future. Goleman seems to be suggesting that flow is something to be worked at. They mastered the moves and worked on the skills until they could slip into peak performance. McNab's detailed advice to her racquetball players also assumes time and dedication on their part.
Flow is the outcome of practice and effort.
Looking a little further into these activities it becomes clear how the initial focus of attention developed, through balance and control, into a flow state. This rich range of presentation allows something for everyone to focus on, and stimulation is constant. This is also true in the creative writing activity which is no less a film, this time made up in the student's head. To help students write a narrative we invite them first to make a rich mental movie of their story including sounds, smells and feelings, then to simply rerun their film and write it down. Balance and stimulation come from within in this case, giving an added sense of control.