Based on the work of [[Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi]] the key factors that help determine a state of flow are: · Challenge-Skill Balance: The activity must be challenging enough to require skill, but not so difficult that it causes anxiety. · Clear Goals and Immediate Feedback: There must be well-defined objectives and constant feedback to guide and affirm progress. · Intense Concentration: Full attention is required on the task at hand, leaving no room for distraction or negative thoughts. · Sense of [[Control]]: The individual feels capable of influencing the outcome and navigating the challenges presented. · Loss of Self-Consciousness: [[Awareness]] of self disappears as one becomes fully immersed in the activity. · Distorted Sense of [[Time]]: Time may feel like it’s slowing down or speeding up due to deep engagement. Flow and [[Creativity]] are deeply intertwined, as the state of flow provides the mental conditions where creative insights flourish. In this state of deep immersion, self-consciousness falls away, allowing novel connections and ideas to arise effortlessly and intuitively. [The Method To Their Madness: Flow And The Final Four](https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenkotler/2014/04/01/the-method-to-their-madness-the-secret-science-of-the-final-four/) `Concepts:` `Knowledge Base:`