High Performance Mindset | Learn from World-Class Leaders, Consultants, Athletes & Coaches about Mindset - 672: The Flow Effect

Episode Date: March 29, 2025

In this episode of the High Performance Mindset podcast, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff explores the concept of flow, a mental state of complete absorption and peak performance, drawing on insights from sport psychologist Dr. Sue Jackson, who collaborated with Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the pioneer of flow research. The episode highlights how flow occurs when we are fully engaged in meaningful tasks, using our skills to the fullest while staying present in the moment. Cindra outlines three key barriers to flow and encourages you to identify activities where you naturally lose track of time and feel energized, while learning to trust the process and stay focused on the present.  The episode wraps with a motivating reminder that flow, like a muscle, strengthens with mindful practice. This Week's Power Phrase: "I will stay in the present trusting that everything unfolds perfectly."

Hi, friends. My name is Dr. Syndra Kamboff, a national leader in the field of sport and performance psychology. Every week, I'm on the local radio sharing my top tips on exactly how to develop the mindset of the world's best so you can accomplish all your dreams. Get ready for a jammed packed episode focused on practical tips to help you get after your goals and step out of your comfort zone. Let's go. Let's

go. It's time to check in with Cinder Campoff. Today we're talking about the flow effect, F-L-O-W, the flow effect. Cinder, start us off with a quote. This is a quote by CechSec Mihai who designed the term flow. And he said, the best moments in our lives are not the past of a relaxing time the best moments usually occur as a person's body and mind is stretched to its limit to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile. All right so flow tell us exactly what we'll be talking about today. Well I'm just gonna ask people to think about what do you enjoy doing so

much that you forget about all your worries and you know time flies chances are that you're probably doing it and you're experiencing flow. And it's a term first coined by a psychologist named Mihaly Cechsek Mihaly. He's the author of the bestselling book, Flow. And Lisa, he discovered that years of research on creativity and performance, that the secret to optimal performance is actually to reach the flow state. And it's this optimal, you know, optimal, ultimate experience where you're completely absorbed in the activity that you really enjoy.

So tell us what people say when they actually are experiencing flow. What is that like for them? They say it's effortless. And when you experience flow, you're really using your skills to like the fullest and you're so absorbed in the task that really nothing else matters. Ultimately when you're experiencing flow, you're performing at your best. And research shows that when you experience flow, you're more likely to be satisfied with your work, loving it, and that's really important to keep growing and improving. That sounds like a place that we want to be all the time.

So what gets in our way of being able to experience flow? Yeah, that's a great question. On the High Performance Mindset podcast, I interviewed Dr. Susan Jackson, who is also a psychologist, who wrote the book Flow in Sports with Sex Like Me High. And so that's episode 359. And she gave us just really some incredible insight on how to tap into flow. And she also talked about three inhibitors to flow. And she called the, we're going to call them the three Fs today. Okay. So it's like focusing on the outcome, forcing flow and focusing on yourself. So

that's what gets in the way. So tell us more about how we can avoid those three Fs. Absolutely. So when we focus on the outcome, usually, you know, our attention is off the present and off kind of the small steps or the process we have to take. And so knowing what you really want is important to experiencing flow. It's something you know, that thinking of something that you want, for sure it's helpful. But once you get clear on really that goal, the focus should be really on the next step through the process.

And so, you know, think about Olympic and elite athletes, they really know this the best. When we're focusing on winning or scoring or getting first place, actually, our performance declines. So we want to stay focused on the process in the moment, you know, and that's where flow is more likely to happen. Oh, that makes sense. How about forcing flow or focusing on yourself?

What do you mean by those? Yeah, so I would say when we, you know, force flow, we actually get further away from it, because we're pressing and we're pushing it instead of letting it come naturally. So the key is just to do things that you love and to focus and trust you, you know, trust yourself. And isn't really about turning a light switch on and off, you know, instead we have to move forward with ease. And I'd say when we focus on ourselves, we forget the real reason we're doing the task, you know, usually because of someone else, which can lead to kind of overthinking and being self-conscious. So it said we just want to

stay focused on the on the task at hand. And when we overthink about ourselves, we divide our attention, which makes flow impossible, decreases our focus. So we really want to stay focused on the task at hand. What is the recommendation that you have for us that we will be able to experience more flow? Yeah, great question. So I would just say, let's think about, you know, what leads to flow for you. Think about maybe a time where you're in the flow in the past, you know, what did that feel like for

you? What led to that feeling? And I encourage people to write down the activities in their life where they experience flow. You know, maybe it happens when you're preparing for a presentation or you're working on a project or or you're working on a project, or maybe you're selling to a potential client. For example, I experience flow the most when I'm writing or speaking or working one-on-one with clients. So just think about what do those activities have in common, and why do these particular activities lead to flow for you?

Cinder, what's your final point for today? I'd say finding your flow zone really starts with your mind and channeling it into the present moment. And so just remember, your mind is like a muscle. It takes daily practice to master it, and flow is like a muscle. The more you train it, the more you experience it. And what is the power phrase that we can use to get us through the week? I will stay in the present, trusting that everything unfolds perfectly.

Now Cindra, if people want to check out that episode 359 of the High Performance Mindset podcast that you have, where do we go to follow you? You can head over to Dr. Cindra, so D-R-C-I-N-D-R-A dot com, or you can, you know, Google Apple podcast and search Jackson Jackson Susan Jackson and Cindra Camp off and you'll find it. Perfect thank you so much. Thank you. Way to go for finishing another episode of the high performance mindset. I'm giving you a virtual fist pump. Holy cow did that go by way too fast for anyone else? If you want more remember to subscribe and you can head over to Dr. Cindra for show notes and enjoy my exclusive community for high performers where you for watching.