Day 2 of the challenge, post can be found here: http://yourturnchallenge.tumblr.com/post/108636222910/the-elusive-flow

[For the purpose of reposting, I have deliberately not looked at the grammar mistakes. Because excessive editting is my way of stalling the final product, which defeats the purpose of this challenge.]

The nature of my work, outside blogging, involves some creative thinking, space to write and strategize, ability to produce different types of writing and messaging. A fair amount of time is also spent “firefighting” – urgent issues that come up, problem solving, responding to various processes. Back home, there are two young children – enough said.

Coming into the year 2015, when I look to develop more of my work and creativity, there remains the big question of how do I find that (somewhat elusive now) state of flow. The state of flow where ideas come easily, writing happens at hours on end and progress is actually made from milestone to milestone.

I’m still experimenting on getting in touch quickly with a state of flow but it boils down to a few points for me, alternating between work meetings, corporate requirements, home needs and my own interests in blogging & reading:
◦What I love: I know I love reading and writing, yet it becomes really easy to think that other seemingly urgent activities take priority. Surprisingly, it took something like a challenge like this #YourTurnChallenge – for me to start doing daily writing. In doing so, getting into the flow while engaged in other activities seem easier. I guess on some level, I begin to feel that everyday I am doing something I love – so there is always something to look forward to.
◦What I expect: So I don’t have block of hours of end, at least based on where my current commitments are. The state of flow does not need to exist only for big blocks of time – sticking to what I expect sometimes creates boundaries that limit my ability to experience.
◦What I let go: The state of flow, as it suggests, requires some flow and movement. Things don’t move if I hold on to too much in my life – excess commitments, excess ideas about what an outcome has to look like, excess activities that can be delegated. Flow doesn’t happen when we drag our feet – weighing the tonne of clutter we strap on to ourselves.

At the end of the day, there were no intuitive steps 1, 2, 3 etc…to get to the state of flow. A lot of times, it remains elusive. But by experimenting, testing what works, I begin to listen to my inner self, become aware of my responses, notice my distractions and then slowly understand … that the state of flow isn’t just bestowed to me like an elusive gift, it is created intentionally by each concious step I take.