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In The Matrix, Morpheus offers Neo a red or blue pill, and the pill he chooses will determine his future. Each pill represents a different path: the red, a path to knowledge and truth that will change his life forever; while the blue is a path that will maintain the status quo, living in willful ignorance.
For many, the blue pill at work looks like this: counting the hours until they can log out, trying to cram all the tasks onto their to-do list while constantly having to distract. The average person spends about 90,000 hours of their life at work; for most, the only activity they will do more is: sleep. So why are we willing to accept that we spend most of our days feeling overwhelmed, bored and unfocused?
It doesn’t have to be. There is a red pill that offers a brighter future of work – that allows us to take control of our experience and enjoy what we do. The “red pill” in 2022 is the state of flow.
And while it may not be as easy as swallowing a magic pill, it is well worth the effort. When we are committed to optimizing our ability to flowWe will not only be better and more valuable employees, but we will also find real joy in our work, leaving the status quo behind and moving towards a more productive future.
Related: If you don’t pay attention to this, you’ll miss out on peak performance
Define borders
In today’s work, employees face a never-ending barrage of distractions — social media is at our fingertips, we work amid roommates and family, and our Slack never seems to end. And while each of these distractions hinders our ability to get into flow, one is the most insidious (and least talked about): the company-wide messaging. We used to have to knock on their door or schedule an appointment if we wanted to ask a question or have a conversation with colleagues. Now we can send messages all day long, and many employees feel we have to available 100% of the time.
Slack, email, and other messaging services are valuable tools, but they can also become methods of procrastination. To enable flow, we need to set limits on messaging services and communicate with our colleagues about when we’re on do not disturb. Whether you’re putting an emoji next to your name and turning off notifications to indicate you’re working deep or talking to your boss about scheduling a time where you shouldn’t be disturbed, we need to find a way to free ourselves. from the distractions associated with constant communication.
Businesses and leaders can and should encourage this behavior: take the pressure off employees to be available 24/7 and allow them to turn off the noise (guiltless) for short periods each day to do in-depth work.
Related: Here’s How Employers Can Boost Workplace Productivity
Flow must be planned
While the concept of “flow” may feel elusive, there are concrete actions we can take to achieve it – namely planning and preparation, preparation, preparation. Block timeout in your calendar for in-depth work as you would for your weekly meeting, make a to-do list before the scheduled time and preassemble all the necessary materials.
By preparing yourself for success and actively blocking time in your calendar, you allow yourself to stop stressing about superficial work; your colleagues have been warned and you can rest assured that this time you will be awarded for in-depth work (unless it’s an emergency that can’t wait). Knowing that you’ve done everything you can to avoid distractions can help you focus on the task at hand. In addition, if we block our time in advance, we reduce the chances of running out of willpower and being unable to “convince” ourselves to do in-depth work. No more post-lunch slumps or morning jitters – you’ve blocked time, prepared accordingly, and are ready to get to work.
Related: This Is The Only Way To Really Shake The Monday Blues
Find your flow
Each individual’s approach to getting into flow will be different. What’s important is that we give ourselves the opportunity to experiment with the environment that best allows us to be in flow. My team is currently working with our staff to facilitate this experiment and help them find their own unique circumstances for deep work. From figuring out how to arrange your environment in a way that seems best to you, knowing what to do to prepare to get into flow, and finally documenting what worked best for you once you reached that zen state – we are trying to break down-finding current in a science.
What type of environment, preparation and documentation do you need to get into flow consistently? It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach – what works for your colleague may not work for you. But once you figure it out, whether it’s buying a new office chair, turning off your notifications or lighting a candle, you’ll be amazed at how quickly those 90 minutes fly by.
Related: Using Flow to Make You More Productive
Take the red pill
In Deep workCal Newport argues that if we spend enough time in a state of frenetic superficiality, we permanently diminish our ability to do deep work. The internet and social media have already our attention span shortenedand our ability to focus diminishes every day.
We must ask ourselves: are we willing to accept this as our permanent reality?
We can find more pleasure in our work and become more valuable employees, but only if we are committed to cultivating an environment that encourages deep work every day. Don’t be tempted by the blue pill and the status quo – take the red pill, find your flow and see how you thrive.
Janice has been with businesskinda for 5 years, writing copy for client websites, blog posts, EDMs and other mediums to engage readers and encourage action. By collaborating with clients, our SEO manager and the wider businesskinda team, Janice seeks to understand an audience before creating memorable, persuasive copy.