Good morning, dear readers, trust you're having a great day, today we will be discussing an easy way to become more productive in your tech life and enter your "Flow state" and how to integrate the law of Reverse Effort into your programming journey. Let's dive in, shall we?
What Is Flow State?
The term "flow state" refers to a mental state in which a person is entirely focused on a single task or activity. They are focused on the task at hand and do not think about themselves or their performance. Informally, this is referred to as being "in the zone." In other words, the flow state is a peak of concentration in which they are not sidetracked by any kind of distraction. Athletes use this technique to focus completely on their various sports activities at their peak potential. Enough about the flow state, let us discuss the Reverse Effort Technique.
Law Of Reverse Effort
The law of reverse effort was coined by Aldous Huxley to explain that the harder we try with our conscious will to do something, the more we fail. The insomniac is a great example of this. Sleep is a wholly subconscious process, and 'willing' or 'trying' to sleep has the opposite effect. The more you think about sleeping and tell yourself that you need to 'get' to sleep, the more awake you become. Consider this: when you're swimming, what happens if you want to float? You begin to float and sink. If you want to sink and push down, your body will fight you and pull you back up to the surface. You float if you want to sink.
This law exists because our conscious and unconscious minds frequently clash, and the unconscious mind always wins. Why? Because it is our guardian and is rarely rational. Émile Coué, a French psychologist, defined the law of reversed effort as follows: “When the imagination and willpower conflict, are antagonistic, it is always the imagination which wins, without any exception."
How does this affect our daily lives?
I can tell you from personal experience that this is something I struggle with on a daily basis. I am a web developer and software engineer (which I adore) as well as a writer. There are times when I feel like an exceptional person in my specialty (this is my conscious mind speaking), and other times when my unconscious mind responds with doubt, fears, and insecurities about my abilities. The solution to this conflict is simple: LET GO! As aforementioned, the harder we try, the harder we fail. Instead of raising the standards and trying to grab every piece of information on the plate, try to understand the foundations on which they stand. Allow me to paraphrase Émile Coué: "The solution to this fear is to relax, let go, and think about relaxing things that can provide us with the confident feeling." From this confident feeling, when we feel fresh and secure, we can, easily deal with anything that will appear less threatening.”
Sure, we want to excel at everything we do, but what good is it if you burn out in the process? Take time to relax, let go, and think about relaxing things, as Émile suggested; meditation is a good option; at least 10 minutes is all you'd ever need to realign your focus. Journaling can come in handy too, it is a healthy way to vent out all your stress and worries.
Conclusion
I trust now you've seen a proper way to manage your focus, and efforts so as to become more productive in all you do. Remember to stay strong in all you do, and remain positive; success is never far from our reach if you just believe. Till next time dear reader.
Ad Meliora!!!