Rituals to get into a state of flow

Table of Contents

The ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. As a consequence, the few who cultivate the skill and then make it the core of their working life will thrive. On the flip side, boredom is equally important in breaking you out of feeling complacent and comfortably numb.

Do you think Christopher Columbus would have embarked on his voyage and discovered America if he lived in a world where he could get jacked up on Prozac and play Minecraft?

It is lack of stimulation which allows us to stop tearing up our brains and think clearly, naturally allowing novel ideas to flow. The need for constant stimulation is what keeps you trapped in a Comfortably Numb state where development feels unnecessary because life is just good enough.

It is so easy to be great nowadays because most people are weak. Most people don’t want to go that extra mile. Most people don’t want to find that extra cause it sucks, it’s miserable, it’s lonely. - David Goggins

Tips for doing/studying hard things

Reference: Cal Newport - Tips For Doing Hard Things https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv5GVT4FCvE&list=PLVOspl3tsfnpR8FtVlWARGCT6rEqeJ31S&index=61

This is based on a talk from the author Brandon Sanderson (highly successful fantasy novelist) called “The common lies writers tell you”.

The author dislike the fact that the media keeps telling young people “You can do anything you want to and you should follow your dreams”. The author says that it is way too simplistic, that is not the way it works and that is not going to help anyone.

According to him, here is a more realistic picture. I can do hard things. Doing hard things has intrinsic value. It will make me a better person even if I end up failing. He says that that is the way to talk about ambitious goals.

And then the author gives three tips for this.

  1. Make better goals.
  2. Learn how you work.
  3. Break it down.

Make better goals.

The goals shouldn’t be long term and grandiose. What are you going to do tomorrow in order to get closer to where you want to be? Make goals that you can track and lead and control. You can plan and execute on them - cancel other things, move other things, make these goals a priority and progress can happen.

Learn how you work.

If someone tells you, you should not be a writer unless you love writing and you can spend many many hours a day writing - that is nonsense. Writing is hard no matter how much you love it. You have to figure out what works for you and then get yourself to do that.

Philosophy and ritual can help with this. Don’t give your brain a chance to decide when to do the work. Set a schedule for it and follow it. Protect that schedule. Protect that time. Be strict about that calendar. Use that time well.

Break it down.

In figuring out what those smaller goals are is where the magic happens. Suggestions like “if you want to write, then write” and “if you want to make music, then make music” are not going to work. If you don’t know how, you have to reach out to people (who know what they are doing) and get help. And don’t just ask them “what should I do?”. Because they will just say “write” or “paint”. You have to ask them “I want to hear your story. How did you get there? What was the first step? What was the next step? How long does each step take?” Get a good understanding of reality. Don’t ask the experts for their advice - ask them their story.

Treat doing hard things like a complicated endeavor that requires a lot of nuance.

Key principles for getting into a state of deep work or flow

Get intentional before each work session

Set an intention before each deep work session.

Identify and write down specifically what task you are going to accomplish for that session

So you don’t waste time trying to figure out what to do when you’re meant to be working.

Thus, avoiding future distractions.

This will prevent you from trying to decide in the moment and this will ultimately prevent future procrastin ation and distractions.

Okay you’ve outlined your goals and your direction now.

Exaggerate this if necessary. For example, at the beginning of a session of working on anything, write down what it is that you are going to be working on in that session on a piece of paper and stick it to the computer so that it will be staring at you in the face. After the session is over, rip it and put it in the trash.

See Doing More vs Doing What Matters

Allocating certain hours of the day dedicated to only deep work with a go-to space

There’s minimal distractions where you can carry out this work as to also create an association so your brain knows that when you were there that is time for work

See Environment design - Impact on Focus and Habits

Understand the importance of a distraction free environment: In that space, it’s either you do work or you do nothing. It should be that minimalistic. If you have your phone on your desk, if you have ways that you can distract yourself, your dopamine hungry brain is going to find little ways to distract you and want to just do something easier.

Before you sit down to do the work, make sure you have everything you need

such as water, etc. to minimize unnecessary breaks and being broken out of the state of flow.

Next, try and perform a grand gesture such as investing time or money into improving your deep work routine

such as moving out of your house for a week with the intention of only working when you’re away. Or, just by investing in a good pair of noise canceling headphones or raise the perceived importance of the task allowing you to work more efficiently and better integrate it into your routine making it a long lasting habit

Finally, one of the most overlooked aspects of getting into deep work is downtime.

Recharging will go a long way.

In your breaks between blocks, go for a walk, take a nap, or meditate. A good rule is to only do things that are of low stimulation during this downtime. Do something ideally easy and not as stimulating. This way you can come back with new energy, new focus and just more ability to just get back into deep work again.

If you try to do stimulating things during your breaks, it will create attention residue, creating a more clouded brain - as your mind can’t change between stimulating tasks well, carrying the thoughts of one over to the other.

Overstimulation is ruining your life

Listen to binaural beats at 40 Hertz

A bonus tip to improve focus is to listen to binaural beats at 40 Hertz, which has been shown in multiple studies to improve concentration, in part by increasing the levels of neurochemical dopamine and acetylcholine in the brain. You can do this throughout the whole of your work session, or you can just listen to five minutes of the binaural beats prior to the session as a formal warm-up, the same way you would warm up for exercise.

How you can train yourself to study long hours even when you do not want to

Break everything down into smaller chunks

It will take anxiety and overwhelming feelings off of the table.

Don’t feel dreadful about studying

The amount of work that you have to put in, the number of hours you have to spend are not going to change. So it is just a matter of perspective. So when you are studying and as you complete smaller tasks, you can be miserable by feeling dreadful or you can be happy about it. Whining and complaining are never helpful - not in life, not when you are studying, not at work, never.

Break the cycle of guilt before you start studying

If you are not studying and procrastinating by doing something else, and if your mind recognizes this fact, you cannot open a book and immediately get into studying. You need some time between the guilt time and the study time. Set a timer. In this time, get rid of the things that can distract you and prepare your surroundings and environment for studying. e.g. cup of coffee/tea, candles, whatever helps you get into the rhythm of studying. And then, take a shower or take a walk and get yourself into the mood and physical sensation for studying.

Focus on what you can do in the next few minutes to get a little closer to the goal

Don’t even think about the next hour. Think only about the next few minutes (5, 10, 20 minutes depending upon how motivated you feel at this very moment).

Study actively - not passively

Passive learning is where you try to absorb information and knowledge. It’s based on the idea that you’re an empty vessel waiting to be filled. But research shows that this isn’t the best way to learn. We actually construct knowledge by integrating the new material with what we already know and have already experienced. So if you want to learn a new topic quickly and effectively, use as much active learning as you can.

Research, note taking, studying and learning

Change locations

Find interesting ways to study. Don’t do it all the time at the same place.

Don’t take breaks whenever you want. Take scheduled breaks.

The breaks should be well deserved. Ideally, when you are on a break, you should not think about (or be dreadful about) studying. When you put in good work, the break at the end of the day (or the breaks between study sessions) will be relaxing even though all that work makes you feel tired.

Don’t drag out study sessions for multiple hours at a time.

If you can end your day early, get a few non-study related things done and then spend another 2-3 hours for studying, do it. Late night study sessions, if planned correctly, can be very helpful.

Make studying a habit. Incorporate it into your lifestyle.

There will be a clear difference between studying consistently versus trying to cram information into your brain right before an exam or before an interview. Studying needs to be part of your daily routine.

Use notes and mindmaps.

If you already have notes/mindmaps from the past, use them while studying something new. If you don’t already have one in the past, create one and take your own notes. Look for gaps in your knowledge/understanding using your mindmaps/notes. Approach your studying from that perspective. Remember - knowledge is a semantic tree.

Research, note taking, studying and learning

How to study consistently - even when balancing other responsibilities?

Schedule your life around focus - not time

Focus drains throughout the day. Coffee and cold showers might give it a temporary boost - but our focus is going to drain in the day sooner or later. After that, the brain is tired. The battery is depleted. The brain wanders, day dreams, complains, feels bored, causes head aches, etc. This leads to procrastination. Pushing the brain when it is tired will only lead to more bad outcomes.

What does focusing your day/life mean? Wake up at 8 AM. Start work at 9 AM. Work for 8/9 hours. Finish the work day. Take a small break. Finish evening routine like dinner/showers, etc. And start studying at 9/10 PM at night. Study until you feel totally exhausted and then, fall asleep. And repeat.

Studying at any time of the day is not useful. You need to study when your focus battery is full. You need to shuffle your schedule to put the study hours during the times when your focus is going to be good. To maximize the outcome from your study sessions, if you put them at the beginning of the day before you do anything else, you will get the most value out of those study sessions.

As your focus levels drop throughout the day, you can use any free time that you have towards the evening/night to do less intensive things like light studying, organizing notes, organizing schedule, etc.

Schedule your most important, most intense studying during the times when your focus is going to be at its maximum. Make the most of your brain power.

Studying optimally and efficiently helps reduce burn out.

Don’t try to learn things that you hate

All the best learning techniques, study techniques, productivity techniques will not be able to help you if you are not interested in the things that you are trying to learn. Quit doing the things that bring you no joy.

Reading material

  1. Cal Newport’s Study Hacks Blog: https://calnewport.com/blog/
  2. StudyMD channel on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dezbvv2NIlQ&list=PLVOspl3tsfnpR8FtVlWARGCT6rEqeJ31S&index=6
  3. https://www.daniel-wong.com/2018/04/23/get-motivated-to-study/
  4. https://leverageedu.com/blog/how-to-study-for-long-hours/

Links to this note