If the “flow state” is the key to any performance at the highest level, Fluxogenics (from “fluxus” and “genic,” “which produces flow”) is the science that has broken down the flow state into its basic elements and thus allows us to create it at will.

True, it is not possible to deliberately “decide” to enter flow state, no more or less than it is not possible to “decide” to sleep; not only that, since it is a state of mind close to that of meditation, the moment we realize that we are in flow state, it means that we are already no longer in that state; precisely because of this it has always been seen as something “magical,” as something that “happens” without any possibility of control on our part.

But in fact, this is not the case at all: just as you cannot decide to sleep, but you can create the conditions for sleep to come, in the same way – once you have broken down the flow state into its components – you can use them as a checklist to see if the conditions that allow the flow state to occur are met.

These points, verified after years of research and studies conducted on elite performers in every field, are thus the ones that characterize the flow state, and which in turn-when met-generate it.

Let us look at them in sequence, keeping in mind that we will elaborate more on some concepts when we discuss the F.L.O.W. Power System, which is the practical application of the conceptual framework of Fluxogenics.

1) Relaxation

Relaxation is the basis of any excellent performance, as any musician, dancer, athlete (or for that matter any performer) knows: any unnecessary tension acts as a brake and reflects negatively on performance. Anyone who has played a sport, or learned to play a musical instrument, knows that the main point any coach or teacher insists on is just that: relax, relax, relax. And no matter what system you want to consider, whether it is a business, a hospital or a machine, any tension, stiffness or friction inevitably lowers performance. Needless to say, fear always creates tension, and is therefore the main obstacle to the state of flow.

2) Clear objectives

Without well-defined goals – and especially without a clear definition of the criteria for meeting them – there can be no performance. This may seem obvious, but it is amazing the amount of people who act and strive without having any idea of what they want to achieve. Regardless of how they are chosen, clarity about goals is obviously crucial, not least because as pointed out many times it is the goals that unite the resources of a system, and thus provide meaning, significance, and direction. Making sure that every part of the system has a clear understanding of the overall goal, as well as specific ones, is the main function of leadership

3) Technical mastery

In any activity, mastery of technique is essential: it is clear that one cannot express one’s potential if we are unable to practically realize what the mind has conceived. Obviously, depending on the activity in which we are engaged, mastery will be of greater or lesser importance: if we are playing chess, moving the pieces on a chessboard involves evidently no difficulty, but if we were generals and wanted to move platoons in the same way on the battlefield, this would require very rigorous training. If we are musicians, without the mastery of the instrument we will not be able to manifest our musical idea, in the same way if we are painters, or businessmen.

Especially in today’s world where everything is at our fingertips, being able to learn what is necessary without getting lost in the immensity of supply is certainly one of the most important skills, along with that – especially difficult – of having the courage to “unlearn” what is no longer needed and to set aside strategies that prove obsolete.

4) Appropriate level of difficulty

This is a point that Prof. Csikszentmihaly considers to be of utmost importance, and which is instead often overlooked: for one to succeed in entering the flow state, the level of difficulty must not be too high – because otherwise one would only collect failures, and this would only produce anger and frustration – but neither must it be too low, because then the result would be boredom and inattention. Actually, there is an optimal zone of difficulty in any activity, where what we are trying to achieve is difficult enough to be challenging and to require maximum effort and concentration, but not so difficult as to be impossible to achieve. When we adjust the level of a video game, or choose the distance to the target when shooting, we instinctively make the most appropriate choice with precisely this in mind. It is less easy to find this kind of balance in daily activities, but succeeding is the key to personal and professional achievement and gratification.

5) Mushin, or “clear mind”

This is a state of mind typical of Zen philosophy that is normally related to the Eastern martial arts, in which the practitioner is in a state of high alert, ready to react to any kind of attack, and whose mind is not disturbed by thoughts of hatred, doubt or fear. Another term – again Japanese – with which to describe this state is “mizu no kokoro,” which can be translated as “mind like water” or, better, “spirit like water,” indicating the mental fluidity needed to adapt to all kinds of situations.

It is important to remember that meditative practices, which perhaps today are regarded as new age fads for bored housewives, were born in a context where one’s life was at stake, and one was aware that in a fight, inappropriate interference by the rational mind, based on doubts and fears, would mean death.

6) Focus in the present

When tackling a complex task, whether it is skiing, high-speed driving, a video game or a particularly complex negotiation, focus is everything. But – mind you – this is not an attempt, doomed, moreover, to keep everything under control, but rather a different way of describing the state of mind mentioned earlier, that is, a state of pure presence in the situation one is in. Today we talk a lot about “living in the present,” a phrase that is very often misinterpreted to mean “not worrying about tomorrow.” In reality, living in the present simply means precisely having maximum awareness and responsiveness to what is happening in the “here and now,” in the “hic et nunc” as the Latins used to say, or “mindfulness” to use a fashionable term.

7) Immediacy of feedback

The more immediate the perception of the outcome of what we are doing, the easier it is to adjust the measurable elements of performance. It is clear that while we are engaged in an activity that requires significant physical participation – dancing, playing an instrument, practicing a sport – this aspect is an integral part of the activity, and it is no coincidence that these are precisely the fields in which the flow state is most likely to occur spontaneously.

In other situations, the result of what we do is not immediately verifiable, because perhaps the effects of our actions become apparent after days, or perhaps months (think of a business strategy decision, or a change in the type of training); in this case it is important to prepare personal patterns of feedback that – however arbitrary – give us an indication of how we are doing.

8) High energy level

About energy and its paradoxical aspect, we have spoken extensively previously. Here we need to be reminded that energy is both cause and effect of the flow state, and in fact one of the most rewarding aspects of when we express ourselves at our best is precisely the feeling of energy by which we feel pervaded. This happens because energy is the consciousness of one’s potential, and seeing this potential in action has an immediate effect on our perception of ourselves.

9) Alignment of resources

Alignment was also discussed in detail earlier. After what has been said so far about systems, it should be clear that alignment is the key component for excellent results. The human body is a system, and no system can manifest its potential if there are elements that do not work in full harmony with the other components: therefore, it is always necessary to check that there are no aspects of our mind that – more or less unconsciously – are not somehow boycotting our success.

10) Connection with the environment

When we are in flow, the energy is maximal and the focus is total, an almost mystical phenomenon takes place that is difficult to describe but which all performers are familiar with: the expansion of consciousness beyond one’s bodily limits, leading us to feel in a special connection with our surroundings.

A runner can feel totally connected to the audience, the track, the other runners; a concert pianist has the impression that he himself is the music; members of a team have the perception that they are part of a larger organism. Belonging and merging into a higher system is obviously the key to all spiritual experiences. This is a topic I do not go into much more detail about, precisely because it is an extremely sensitive and strictly individual matter, but ultimately it is what really makes sense of everything else.