You Pay Money To See Someone In A Flow State
By: Tim Denning
Tags: Self Improvement, Money, Psychology, Work, Writing

You Pay Money To See Someone In A Flow State

Let’s understand why, so you can level up your thinking.

Photo by Marcel Kovacic on Unsplash

Getting into a flow state is widely understood. There’s nothing new there, and I’m not going to bore you with yet another “how to get into flow ” article.

Why you pay someone money is a completely different topic.

In flow, you’re mentally, physically and financially in the best shape of your life. It’s from this position that you can achieve the impossible. There is so much content online telling you about how to be an expert, as though another book or popular quote will make or break you.

Experts, to me, are the ones who have mastered flow.

The best work doesn’t come from what you know; it comes from your ability to master your state so you can push through barriers and make your work look effortless to anyone who observes it.

Why do people pay to see premium content?

Some people pay to see my writing in the form of an eBook or online course. I wondered why that was. Then it hit me in the face the other day.

People pay to see my writing because they unconsciously want to see the output of a flow state.

The thing is, readers of my work don’t know that’s what they’re doing. Witnessing the outcome of flow is incredible.

There is standard content, and content created in flow. The two are completely different. One will change your life. The other will make you have a nana nap.

If you want to create content people will eventually pay for then don’t read another how-to guide or attend a seminar — practice getting into flow.

Figure out ways to get into flow faster.

I get into flow when I binge watch shows like The Voice and witness acts of extreme kindness.

Yes, my ways are odd and may not work for you. But they work for me. If I do one of these two things then I’m in flow faster than a Lambo.

All you have to do is find “flow triggers.” Experimentation is how you find them. Is it a walk? Exercise? Patting your dog? Watching a Hollywood movie? Going to the Opera? Juggling for an hour?

Find your flow triggers to enhance your work.

See how long you can stay in flow.

I treat flow like a marathon. At the start of my writing career I could only write for one hour in flow. The longest, so far, I’ve been in flow is 12 hours.

This was when my girlfriend was away in China and I had our tiny student apartment to myself. All I did was write everything I’d been dying to write but didn’t have time to before.

The better you get at staying in flow the longer you can extend your flow sessions.

Create like a human with 6 hours left to live.

A time limit enhances flow. When you imagine you’re going to die after your flow state session, it changes your thought patterns. I had a hospital visit last week. The day before, I scheduled a flow session. I imagined I wasn’t coming out of the hospital. I pictured the anesthetic creating complications.

Strangely, my worst nightmare became deeply motivating.

The time you have left on this planet can help enhance flow states.

Discover your own ways to enhance flow.

Coffee and warm showers enhance my flow states. Why? Coffee speeds up my brain; warm showers relax me. You’ll create your own list of flow state hacks when you practice being in flow more often.

Learn how to stay in flow.

I used to piss my flow time up against the wall. I’d work so hard to get into a flow state and then at lunchtime, I’d get out of flow to eat. Then I’d spend hours trying to get back into flow. What a waste of time.

Now I’ve learned to stay in flow. I leave my noise-canceling headphones on while I go and get lunch, drink water, and take a bathroom break. By keeping the headphones pumping with movie soundtracks, I stay in flow.

Now I don’t waste so much time getting in and out of flow.

It’s similar to writing. The mental energy you need to write and edit is completely different. Trying to do both tasks on the same day makes you ineffective.

Get into a mental headspace and then stay there until you’re done doing your work.