This advice by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly on how to transform a seemingly hopeless
situation into a new flow activity came in handy as I was experiencing some “down moment” lately. There are three main steps:
1) Unselfconcious self-assurance (p.203-4)
“This attitude occurs when a person no longer sees himself in opposition to the environment, as an individual who insists that his goals, his intentions take precedence over everything else. Instead, he feels a part of whatever goes on around him, and tires to do his best within the system in which he must operate.”
2) Focusing attention on the world (p.204-5)
“They are not expending all their energy trying to satisfy what they believe to be their needs, or worrying about socially conditioned desires. Instead their attention is alert, constantly processing information from their surroundings. The focus is still set by the person’s goal, but it is open enough to notice and adapt to external events even if they are not directly relevant to what he wants to accomplish”
3) The discovery of new solutions (p.207)
“There are basically two ways to cope with a situation that creates psychic entropy. One is to focus attention on the obstacles to achieving one’s goals and then to move them out of the way, thereby restoring harmony in consciousness. This is the direct approach. The other is to focus on the entire situation, including oneself, to discover whether alternative goals may not be more appropriate, and thus different solutions possible.”