How to get in a flow state

There are two important factors when trying to reach your dreams: creativity, and getting the job done. Getting ideas and letting your creative juices flow is vital, but it’s also the easy part. Too many of my friends have had great ideas, started working, and then simply fallen off when the motivation died, and discipline was non-existent. This is truly normal, so if you can stick to some passion of yours even when motivation fades, you’ll hone your skill AND be better than like 95% of people who couldn’t.

While writing five books, I’ve worked two jobs and studied for my MA in electrical engineering, while also consistently working out three times a week, walked my dogs every day and player D&D once a week—all due to one simple habit: I wrote five hundred words every day. I have a huge excel document where I tracked my progress, which was the key to ‘getting the work done,’ but how did I get in the famous ‘flow state’?

I didn’t. I just sat down and started typing, even though often, I felt I was in the opposite of a ‘flow state.’ Starting writing felt like trying to start a cold, rusty, chainsaw. But I did still start writing, despite the chainsaw refusing to start. Because I forced myself to work, I subconsciously got into the story and the characters with every passing word—-as if I was heating, oiling, and tending to the chainsaw. Suddenly, it started without problems, and I was in my flow state! I just had to sit down and start, not pondering whether now was the right time or not. Everything doesn’t need to be perfect, and the stars won’t align, so just get to work!