I Love Soccer… And Why You Care

There is a term called Flow which positive psychologists have more or less defined as that state of mind where you are completely engaged and thinking about nothing else. You know, that feeling you have when you are totally immersed in an activity that a parade could march by and you wouldn’t notice it. Flow is important because it’s one of the components to happiness & well-being.

Flow is important; and so too is our own searches for finding activities that put us in a state of flow.

I experience flow when I am playing soccer. When I am playing soccer I am thinking about a lot of things: about how out of breath I am, about how that other guy is faster than me, about how the ball is coming right at me and I need to get my foot over to it in time, and how I need to look to my left because my teammate is open but he’ll only be open for a second.

What I am not thinking about is my email, my family, my health, my problems, my business, my income, or anything at all. It’s all soccer. I am in flow. And for me it’s heaven.

So what’s this got to do with you?  I found an activity that brings me to a state of flow; and now that I’m aware that soccer makes me happy I can work to play more soccer.  Easy, right?

Your Homework: think about what activity or activities bring you to a state of complete engagement. Think hard. See if you can find more than one. Now…do those activities more.  Also easy…or at least simple.

It will make you happier. Guaranteed.

And any of you who have seen me as a motivational speaker know that happier people are more productive and more successful than our unhappy counterparts.

If you’re looking for a business speaker who is not only very funny but can bring specific tactics about how to be funnier in life and at work to your organization please give us a call. I might even bring a woman named Flo. Get in the Flow, Flo!

 

Brad Montgomery
Motivational speaker, soccer player, lover of Flo (Flow?)