A PERSONAL OBSERVATION
As I write these words, I am in San Francisco, sitting in an office on the building’s twenty-third floor, with a
view down to the North Beach section of San Francisco and a view of the Golden Gate Bridge. I realize that:
I have been writing for two hours without noticing the time, I’m feeling really tuned in to what I’m doing, and I
haven’t noticed that the bright sun of the morning has given way to clouds and fog. This immersion in what
I’m doing, losing a sense of time and external cues, is a flow experience for me.
These experiences motivate me (and help me handle stress). Look for opportunities for these flow
motivation moments for team member activities and for yourself. They certainly aren’t present in all work
tasks, but they can make the more painful or boring work tasks more manageable.