Flow States as a metric for Integrity?

[Bubba66]

Background: to be honest, I struggle with integrity

My particular personality has plagued me with obligation and indecision all my life. I feel that it is starting to form a growth restriction around my personal development, and my ability to experience high consciousness states like Flow.

Decisions I have chronically struggled with:

1. Staying in a committed, long-term relationship instead of pursuing diverse sexual experiences.

2. Sticking to a career plan that delays gratification: a two year plan to pursuing part-time wage-slave status, and project-oriented work full time. 

3. Choosing to focus on mastering my writing/ improvisation, rather than my musicianship or filmmaking abilities. 

I believe that "analysis paralysis" has eaten away at my subconscious mind over time, and produced less focus and Flow States than I might otherwise have had.

Hypothesis: Can frequency of "flow states" be used to measure one's integrity level?

I am going to run an experiment on myself over the next 90 days. I am planning to keep a weekly updated Flow Journal. I am contrasting this Flow State data with data from this past quarter. My hunch is that authentic decisions lend themselves to a higher incidence of Flow states over time. 

Data measurement methods:  Daily Check box template using a scale of 1-4.

1 = No Flow, distracted and anxious.

2 = Some reactive focus utilized. 

3 = Actively engaged for a brief time

4 = Total Flow for hours, no awareness of time passing. 

 Critical times to measure for me are upon waking, early mid-day, later mid-day,  evening before sleeping. Same structure over a 12 hour work shift; start, midway, and final hour of the shift. I am keeping this log in a mini notepad, to be with me at all times. I am reviewing trends weekly.

I will also keep a "notes and description" section, to be used once daily and in long form every week. This is the area for describing the activity that directly preceded my Flow rating. The weekly descriptions will be used to generate insights from trends. 

Precautions: I am not measuring flow if ingesting mind-altering substances since time of last measurement (data would be skewed, not an honest measurement of sober fulfillment levels). I am utilizing Maslow's Hierarchy of needs to correct for data errors (hunger, thirst, self-esteem obstacles). I am using a holistic approach in my underlying assumption that decisions made in various life categories (ie relationships, career, self-expression) tend to affect all other aspects of daily experience.  

Predictions:

1. Staying in a committed relationship will produce higher levels of intimacy, higher ROI in the future, and force myself to have more integrity instead of running and hiding from commitments. 

2. My vision of deriving a living from Project-oriented work, and earning a firm control over my schedule within two years will motivate me a great deal, and spark Flow states in all aspects of my work.

3. Dumping all of my "skill points" into the medium that seems to impact all of the other things I enjoy dabbling in; pursuing writing and improv improvements will compliment all other aspects of life and Flow states. 

Interestingly, if I lack integrity in keeping committed to any of these decisions, this metric should measure that in exact proportion to my lack of integrity; for example, if I lose track of my 2-year career vision and give into becoming nihilistic about work and decide to waste free time on unconscious pursuits instead of projects and strategy and visioning, I may see a drastic reduction in Flow State frequency. 

Experiment end date, August 1st, 2021. I aim to report any profound findings and impacts on this had on my quality of life. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Suggestions to optimize my experiment are welcome here. I have engineered it in hopes of solving my "indecisiveness" at its root by way of finding a reliable, unbiased subjective metric I can return to in the event that my intuition becomes clouded. 

I am working under the assumption that all life categories holistically impact satisfaction in others. I may end up isolating one of the variables above as a negative impact on my ability to achieve Flow states. 

Also, any and all advice on solving indecision at its root is welcome. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ethan1]

I figured a flow state is when you let go into the process or the moment. Not caring about the outcome but enjoying the moment of taking action. Then watching as the momentum builds with challenging the self to let go. Subconcious and habits take over. 

 

Sounds like the opposite of flow is to try and control every aspect of it. Using the concious mind to micromanage everything. 

As if a process of habits is from building a slow momentum. Constantly focused on moving the ball forward or energy outward. To get distracted or overwhelmed is to fall out of this state. 

So in sports a person is both focused and relaxed. They give it there all but aren't focused on winning or losing. About performing at max potential in each and every moment. Challenging the self. 

Tracking can help but over tracking would be too focused on the trees. Rathertham focused on the forest. 

Have a big picture but balance between enjoying the process. If you don't enjoy the process then it will be a state of resistance. 

 

The flow to relationships is emotions. If you want to master that then master your own emotions. Be aware of how communication can build up certain emotions. Both positive and negative via attitudes. Carry a positive attitude and it will attract relationships. Do the opposite and it will attract the opposite. 

Action taking momentum is a thing. The more organized you are with doing then can you get things done more quickly. Moving slow ratherthan moving fast. Habits have to be installed. 

As if learning a new skill builds on repetition. Becomes second nature. 

Dumping into skills. Rather focus on habits. Keystone habits that have a compound effect in other micro habits. Look at habits that impact your energy level. More energy you have physically then the more decisions you can put out mentally/emotionally towards other habits. 

 

 

[Bubba66]

13 hours ago, Ethan1 said:

The flow to relationships is emotions. If you want to master that then master your own emotions. Be aware of how communication can build up certain emotions. Both positive and negative via attitudes. Carry a positive attitude and it will attract relationships. Do the opposite and it will attract the opposite. 

@Ethan1 overall you state similar thoughts to my own, on habits and relationships. I especially like your description here, of flow in relationships; it reminds me of the difference between a victim and proactive hero; between the growth vs the reactive mindset. If you are going to have a working relationship, you have to aim at this with the core of your soul, so to speak. 

My goal is not to micromanage every hour of my life here; it is to objectively measure, for a short time, the effects of "brute force" decision making on my states of Flow, because I suspect flow to be an easily measurable high state of being with simple and frequent self-awareness. I am testing whether or not this measurement can be a reliable short-term tool for helping me break free of false obligations, with an aim to achieve a sophisticated simplicity in life that feels complete (this is an aspect of living with integrity, in my experience). 

Obligation is "shallow," and it has been what leads me to take on a life of unnecessary complexity and social scheduling. I am doing this experiment with the awareness that the difference between obligation and inspiration is "depth" of service your self-actualization. 

An example: if you are "obligated" to work out, the motivation is short term and sustained only in proportion to the depth of your motivations. Your motivation might be "to get in shape." That is shallow, not personal, and not sustainable. If, however, your motivation source was more integral to your identity, like "I work out so that I can survive free of injury when I go rock climbing out in the wilderness this summer," that is more punch, more direct and deep ties to your personal wellbeing and identity. 

Eventually, I would like to lead an innovative edge on my life without the use of "calendars" or "to do lists." In fact, I already do; instead I use things like this tool which carry a lot more transformational power to disengage with the neurotic and dividing mind I was formally trained to organize life with while in school; instead leading with "vision-logic" guided by a direct and whole body memory of what works and what does not.

Your sports example was a great reminder of some items within my direct experience: In sports, Flow is easily engaged in because the whole body is involved, and it is in the pursuit of something for its own sake. Few people play a sport for a reason other than playing; and if they play for a third-party reason like "scholarships" or "approval," that is when it starts to suck. Sports can be a much deeper metaphor for life; don't pursue something with your mind, nor your whole body, which cannot be justified unto itself in some way (ie, I go to work for a paycheck, yes, but I do have moments of pure flow when I effectively save a life, or do something cool.)

For most other areas of life, the Left Brain leads disproportionally towards things that are not a ends to themselves (think of the prototypical programmer, developing code for which they have no personal passion, just to earn a paycheck.)

Even flow pursued within purely Left brain domains (like playing a favorite video game, gambling, speculating and bullshitting) tends to produce a different effect on integrity, in the form of poorly sustainable and less quality states of Flow; especially when pursued addictively. It isolates the body from the brain state, if done without moderation. 

More important than simply "staying fit and not being a blob," the pursuit of Left Brain Flow sources at the expense of more holistic methods runs the risk of creating a schism, or a misperception on how living with integrity should feel. You get things like the hard working Blue Collar worker that takes pride in hating their job (prideful sacrifice, its seen as necessary suffering), and rewards their suffering with a crate of Left Brain numbing beer and Netflix every Friday night. 

A healthier person leading with whole body wisdom in the very same job might find what they enjoy the most about their work, and can disengage more healthfully from their professional obligations (like going out dancing on Friday night, instead of the former example). 

 More food for thought:

1. Do you think I should avoid a risk of over-management by tracking Flow on a weekly basis instead? Less Tree-centric and more Forest-focused? 

2. What is "Vision Logic", and is it a term that encompasses Body Awareness as a more accurate compass in life (checking "your gut" is just one example...) ?

3. What principle(s) apply when looking to balance a Requisite Variety (RQ) approach to higher states AND Simplicity and Authenticity/ Less is More? Balancing freedom and discipline, balancing a chaotic approach to life versus an ordered one...? 

 

My initial thoughts on these:

1. I might be making a mistake in "hunting" for Flow... it is something that should just come to you, and weekly reflection vs daily measurement may allow for more space for this state to emerge. 

2. I need to research "Vision-Logic" for myself. Book suggestions?

3. Reflection and meditation can help identify a balance between too much variety and too few options. Also, RQ might be more effective short term strategy when pursuing specific Projects (like making a film happen, or making art, or crafting something), and Simplicity should lead the day-to-day social calendar, and should specifically compliment the projects or core values in your life. You need  a rest period after using RQ for a quarter or so  (a healthy guestimate is 90 days straight... I've been using it for three years straight, and I do feel a little burnt out!) 

 

 

 

[ll Ontology ll]

16 hours ago, Bubba66 said:

Background: to be honest, I struggle with integrity

My particular personality has plagued me with obligation and indecision all my life. I feel that it is starting to form a growth restriction around my personal development, and my ability to experience high consciousness states like Flow.

Decisions I have chronically struggled with:

1. Staying in a committed, long-term relationship instead of pursuing diverse sexual experiences.

2. Sticking to a career plan that delays gratification: a two year plan to pursuing part-time wage-slave status, and project-oriented work full time. 

3. Choosing to focus on mastering my writing/ improvisation, rather than my musicianship or filmmaking abilities. 

I believe that "analysis paralysis" has eaten away at my subconscious mind over time, and produced less focus and Flow States than I might otherwise have had.

Hypothesis: Can frequency of "flow states" be used to measure one's integrity level?

I am going to run an experiment on myself over the next 90 days. I am planning to keep a weekly updated Flow Journal. I am contrasting this Flow State data with data from this past quarter. My hunch is that authentic decisions lend themselves to a higher incidence of Flow states over time. 

Data measurement methods:  Daily Check box template using a scale of 1-4.

1 = No Flow, distracted and anxious.

2 = Some reactive focus utilized. 

3 = Actively engaged for a brief time

4 = Total Flow for hours, no awareness of time passing. 

 Critical times to measure for me are upon waking, early mid-day, later mid-day,  evening before sleeping. Same structure over a 12 hour work shift; start, midway, and final hour of the shift. I am keeping this log in a mini notepad, to be with me at all times. I am reviewing trends weekly.

I will also keep a "notes and description" section, to be used once daily and in long form every week. This is the area for describing the activity that directly preceded my Flow rating. The weekly descriptions will be used to generate insights from trends. 

Precautions: I am not measuring flow if ingesting mind-altering substances since time of last measurement (data would be skewed, not an honest measurement of sober fulfillment levels). I am utilizing Maslow's Hierarchy of needs to correct for data errors (hunger, thirst, self-esteem obstacles). I am using a holistic approach in my underlying assumption that decisions made in various life categories (ie relationships, career, self-expression) tend to affect all other aspects of daily experience.  

Predictions:

1. Staying in a committed relationship will produce higher levels of intimacy, higher ROI in the future, and force myself to have more integrity instead of running and hiding from commitments. 

2. My vision of deriving a living from Project-oriented work, and earning a firm control over my schedule within two years will motivate me a great deal, and spark Flow states in all aspects of my work.

3. Dumping all of my "skill points" into the medium that seems to impact all of the other things I enjoy dabbling in; pursuing writing and improv improvements will compliment all other aspects of life and Flow states. 

Interestingly, if I lack integrity in keeping committed to any of these decisions, this metric should measure that in exact proportion to my lack of integrity; for example, if I lose track of my 2-year career vision and give into becoming nihilistic about work and decide to waste free time on unconscious pursuits instead of projects and strategy and visioning, I may see a drastic reduction in Flow State frequency. 

Experiment end date, August 1st, 2021. I aim to report any profound findings and impacts on this had on my quality of life. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Suggestions to optimize my experiment are welcome here. I have engineered it in hopes of solving my "indecisiveness" at its root by way of finding a reliable, unbiased subjective metric I can return to in the event that my intuition becomes clouded. 

I am working under the assumption that all life categories holistically impact satisfaction in others. I may end up isolating one of the variables above as a negative impact on my ability to achieve Flow states. 

Also, any and all advice on solving indecision at its root is welcome. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@Bubba66 yeah we need more of this.@Ethan1 you too.