Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life (Masterminds Series)

From one of the pioneers of the scientific study of happiness, an indispensable guide to living your best life. What makes a good life? Is it money? An important job? Leisure time? Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi believes our obsessive focus on such measures has led us astray. Work fills our days with anxiety and pressure, so that during our free time, we tend to live in boredom, watching TV or absorbed by our phones. What are we missing? To answer this question, Csikszentmihalyi studied thousands of people, and he found the key. People are happiest when they challenge themselves with tasks that demand a high degree of skill and commitment, and which are undertaken for their own sake. Instead of watching television, play the piano. Take a routine chore and figure out how to do it better, faster, more efficiently. In short, learn the hidden power of complete engagement, a psychological state the author calls flow. Though they appear simple, the lessons in Finding Flow are life-changing. Based On A Far-reaching Study Of Thousands Of Individuals, Finding Flow Contends That We Often Walk Through Our Days Unaware And Out Of Touch With Our Emotional Lives. As A Result Of This Inattention, We Find Ourselves Constantly Bouncing Between Two Extremes: During Much Of The Day We Live Inundated By The Anxiety And Pressures Of Our Work And Obligations, And During Our Leisure Moments, We Tend To Live In Passive Boredom. Part Psychological Study And Part Self-help Book, Finding Flow Is A Prescriptive Guide That Helps Us Reclaim Ownership Of Our Lives. The Key, According To Csikszentmihalyi, Is To Challenge Ourselves With Tasks That Require A High Degree Of Skill And Commitment. Instead Of Watching Television, Play The Piano; Transform A Routine Task With A Different Approach. In Short, Learn The Joy Of Complete Engagement. Though They Appear Simple On The Surface, The Lessons In Finding Flow Are Life-changing. By Crystallizing These Concepts - Developed Through A Life's Work And Research At The University Of Chicago - Into Clear Guidelines, Csikszentmihalyi Has Crafted A Profound And Momentous Work That Provides Readers With The Tools They Need To Live Richer, More Vital Lives. Structures Of Everyday Life -- Content Of Experience -- How We Feel When Doing Different Things -- Paradox Of Work -- Risks And Opportunities Of Leisure -- Relationships And The Quality Of Life -- Changing The Patterns Of Life -- Autotelic Personality -- Love Of Fate. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 159-167) And Index. From the bestselling author of Flow and one of the pioneers of the scientific study of happiness, an indispensable guide to living your best life. What makes a good life? Is it money? An important job? Leisure time? Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi believes our obsessive focus on such measures has led us astray. Work fills our days with anxiety and pressure, so that during our free time, we tend to live in boredom, absorbed by our screens. What are we missing? To answer this question, Csikszentmihalyi studied thousands of people, and he found the key. People are happiest when they challenge themselves with tasks that demand a high degree of skill and commitment, and which are undertaken for their own sake. Instead of scrolling on your phone, play the piano. Take a routine chore and figure out how to do it better, faster, more efficiently. In short, learn the hidden power of complete engagement, a psychological state the author callsflow. Though they appear simple, the lessons in Finding Flow are life-changing. Part psychological study, part self-help book, Finding Flow is a prescriptive guide that helps us reclaim ownership of our lives. Based on a far-reaching study of thousands of individuals, Finding Flow contends that we often walk through our days unaware and out of touch with our emotional lives. Our inattention makes us constantly bounce between two extremes: during much of the day we live filled with the anxiety and pressures of our work and obligations, while during our leisure moments, we tend to live in passive boredom. The key, according to Csikszentmihalyi, is to challenge ourselves with tasks requiring a high degree of skill and commitment. Instead of watching television, play the piano. Transform a routine task by taking a different approach. In short, learn the joy of complete engagement. Thought they appear simple, the lessons in Finding Flow are life-altering. Part psychological study, part self-help book, this prescriptive guide aims to help us reclaim our lives. The key is to challenge ourselves with tasks requiring a high degree of commitment and so learn the joy of complete engagement The lines by Auden reproduced above compress precisely what this book is about.