Why Are Vi
deo Games Absorbing and Work Not? Written by Thomas Christopher
Friday, 12 June 2009 14:49
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Why don't people playing video games get distracted by work, rather than the other way around? More importantly, if we can understand why, can we use the knowledge to make productive work more attractive?
Saying that video games are more fun does not convey enough information. It's the kind of fun that matters.
Video games are absorbing. For insight into absorbing activities, let's look at Professor Csikszentmihalyi's research into what he called "flow" Flow is that condition in which you are totally occupied with the task you are doing. It has its name because people interviewed about it most frequently described the experience as being "in the flow." A flow experience has two benefits:
First, it promotes your happiness. This is a bit strange, because while you're in the flow you are not happy -- indeed you're not feeling any emotion. You are totally absorbed in your activity. You are not conscious of yourself. Nevertheless, people who spend a lot of time in the flow are happier the rest of the time.
Second, flow promotes your growth. As we shall see in a moment, to remain in the flow you must keep increasing your competence.
There are four conditions for flow. First, the activity you are involved in cannot be too complex. If it is too difficult for you, you will become anxious and drop out of the flow state.
Second, the activity cannot be too simple. If it is too simple, you will become bored and drop out of the flow state.
Third, you must always know what to do next. If you must pause to ponder what your next move is, that in itself will get you out of the flow.
Fourth, you must get immediate feedback on how well you are doing. You must be occupied with current activity and not looking back wondering how well you did nor looking ahead wondering how well you will have done.
While you're in the flow, you are practicing an activity, and as you practice the activity, you are gaining competence. That means that in order to remain in the flow, the activity must be getting more complex; otherwise, it would become too simple, you would become bored, and you would fall out of the flow. This is the way flow leads to growth.
Flow is a most satisfying state to be in. People seek it out. Given the opportunity, people will gravitate towards flow activities.
Flow is like a secular mystical state. The "Eighth Step" on the Buddhist eight-fold path is "right absorption." These games might be considered "wrong absorption," but absorption they are nonetheless.
In the current economic situation, many people are in a state very unlike flow: looking for jobs. For one thing, if you are looking for a job, you do not get immediate feedback. Indeed, if you're sending out resumes, for most of them you will get no feedback at all. You may not know what to do next: what kind of job to look for, where to look for it, how to apply, how wide an area to search in, whether to consider relocating. Some of the activities in job hunting are incredibly boring. On the other hand, some of the things you may need to do you are utterly unskilled at. It's no wonder that online job hunters spend so much time at video games -- video games are flow activities, and job hunting most assuredly is not.
This indicates how you can improve your performance in other activities -- plan them to promote flow.
When you're embarking on a new activity, it would be good if you could organize it so that you will always be in the flow. If you're taking a course, let us hope that it has been arranged so that you can be in the flow while learning. If you're going to have to teach yourself things, right at the beginning it will certainly look too complex: you don't know how little you can get away with knowing. But as soon as you know some of the most vital elements to include in your activity, you can try to work out a schedule that will make it possible for you to be in the flow.
In arranging a schedule, try to arrange to do simple activities that will give you a complete product or at least a complete part of a product, a complete something you can point to. Producing something will give you satisfaction. It is an indication that you are succeeding. That gives you feedback.
As you repeat the activity, combat boredom by including more aspects or making it more complex. Don't concentrate on the end result of your activity. Don't insist that other people see you as a success immediately. That will only delay feedback and promote anxiety. Instead, as you plan out the new activity, focus on the individual parts of it and ways to judge how well you're doing on those.
If you can plan out a new activity so that you can do it in the flow, it will be satisfying, promote your happiness, and develop your skills much more quickly than trying to force yourself to do it.
Dr. Christopher is offering a growing collection of online
income stream courses and eBooks directed at speakers, writers, and self-employed professionals. Dr. Christopher, a Colorado public speaker and seminar leader, prepared these in response to requests from the Speakers In Colorado group.
Write comment (0 Comments) What Are You Waiting For?Written by Dr. Robert Anthony
Thursday, 11 June 2009 12:46
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Are You Putting Off Your Dreams? Or have things slowed down recently? Is your life visibly changing the way you want it to? Or are you still stuck with the same problems?
I woke up today thinking about three people who contacted me this week concerning the progress they were making reaching their goals. They each said the same thing in a different way.
Although they all made good progress in the beginning, they are now all stalled. It's very frustrating for me because I got myself caught up in their dreams. I imagined how their lives would be when they've completed the changes they needed to make. I can easily see the benefits they will gain such as a much larger income, more satisfying relationships and the pride of knowing that they are doing exactly what they always wanted to do – and earning a great living from it.
It's also frustrating for another reason. Although I can see the finish line, they are standing still. The frustrating part of all this is they have all the tools necessary to succeed, but now they are stuck. So why have they stopped?
I can't say I know the answer for each of them. I'm sure there are many reasons. But I suspect there is one cause in every case. They have come to the point where they have done everything they could comfortably do and now they have arrived at a place where they've never been before. Any new step forward, represents a step out of their comfort zone.
If you want to improve the results in your life, you have to accept the fact that you can no longer do the same old things the same old way.
Making a commitment to change your life is a big step. It usually occurs when something has happened to make you realize that you are unhappy with some aspect of your life. Often this event or circumstance will jolt you into deciding that the time has finally come to change your current situation.
The charge that you get from deciding to change your situation will keep you going through the early stages of your transformation. For example, it can energize and motivate you to read a book, take a course, and even go through all the details of setting up a business. All those preparatory activities are necessary and good – but they amount to nothing unless you are able to get your dream started. And getting your dream started -- actually kicking your dream into action -- is new territory. New means strange. And strange means uncomfortable.
Having been involved with a number of very effective training programs over the years, I've been disappointed by how many bright and ambitious students fail to finish their training. And of those who finish, less ten percent turn their hard-earned skills into substantial or measurable results.
Then weeks or months later they look at the courses or programs they have taken and wonder, as I'm doing about these three people now: "What happened?"
If you feel that you were off to a good start but are currently stalled, you need to admit to yourself that you have probably slipped back into your comfort zone. More than likely you have been deceiving yourself that you are making progress, but at the same time you are really not getting anywhere.
What you need to do is take action. Even if it is a very small action. Nothing you can tell yourself, nothing you can say to others, nothing you can think or feel or imagine is going to get you out of the mental bog you're mired in. The only thing that can rescue you is – to take that next step.
Maybe you know what that is. If you know exactly what it is, DO IT! If you don't know, or aren't sure, allow you intuition to guide you. Do whatever you feel compelled to do, but do it NOW to get yourself going again -- even if it means entering your discomfort zone.
I said earlier, I am disappointed by how many people start to change their lives and then stall. Many of these people are good at the initial study phase, but lose pace when it comes time to make those next steps, transitioning from knowledge to action.
On the other hand, I'm thinking now about many people who have succeeded . . . about the hundreds of unsolicited letters I receive from people who have taken my “Secret of Deliberate Creation” program and are now living the lives they dreamed about. All they did was just FOLLOW THROUGH until they got results. They just applied simple steps outlined in the program and the changes were almost magical.
What is your dream? To become a freelance artist / writer / consultant? To own your own business? To become financially independent . . . perhaps even wealthy? Don't put off the success you've always dreamed about. My
“Secret of Deliberate Creation” program will show you how to get started NOW and give yourself the jolt you need to make that final change to move you from where you are to where you want to be.
Want to discover more?
Visit
www.thesecretofdeliberatecreation.comWrite comment (0 Comments) Task Ninja: Form the Action HabitUser Rating: / 1 PoorBest
Written by Leo Babauta
Thursday, 07 May 2009 14:27
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A lot of us get stuck in inaction –procrastinating, doing a lot of unimportant tasks to avoid the important stuff, worrying about failing or about being perfect, having a hard time starting, getting distracted, and so on.
It’s time to start forming the Action Habit instead.
And it’s really not that hard if you focus on it for a little while. Like any other habit, start in small doses, little tasks, just short bursts, and then build on that momentum.
Some quick steps for forming the Action Habit:
Figure out your key actions. Focusing on the right actions is just as important as the doing. Don’t spend a lot of time in this step — just quickly decide your Top 3 actions for today.
Pick one key action, and visualize the outcome. How will it look when you’re done? Again, don’t spend a lot of time here — just form a quick picture in your mind.
Just start. Tell yourself, “Do it now!” Make it a mantra. Don’t mess around with tools, with distractions, with anything that will get in the way of doing this task. Strip away everything but the task, and get going!
Focus on the moment. Just be in this task, don’t worry about the future or what mistakes you might make or might have made before. Just focus on doing this task, as best you can. Immerse yourself in it.
Get to done. Complete the task. Feel good about it! Pat yourself on the back!
Now repeat with the next task. The more you practice this habit, the better you get. Do it in small doses, and keep practicing. You’ll fail sometimes. See the next section for how to deal with that. But don’t let failure stop you — just practice some more.
Barriers to the Action Habit
But what if you’re having trouble actually taking action? Some quick thoughts:
Don’t worry about perfect. Too often we want to create the perfect plan, but while it’s important to know where you’re going, it’s more important not to get stuck in the planning mode. And while it’s important to do your best, perfection isn’t necessary.
Stop fiddling. Are you messing around with your software or other tools? Are you playing with fonts and colors and other non-essential things? Stop! Get back to the task.
Remove distractions. Turn off the phone, email, IM, Twitter, etc. Shut off the world around you, and just focus on the doing.
Improve it later. Just do it now. You can make it better later. Writers call this the sh*tty first draft — and while it sounds bad, it’s actually a good thing. You’re getting it done, even if it’s sloppy.
Break it into smaller chunks. Sometimes the task is too intimidating. If the task takes more than an hour, start with a 30-minute chunk. If that’s too big, do just 10 minutes. If that’s too hard, do 5. If you have to, just do 1 minute, just to get going.
Stop thinking so much. Thinking is a good thing. Overthinking isn’t, and it gets in the way. Put aside all the thinking (analysis paralysis) and just do.
If you can’t do something … figure out why. Maybe you don’t have the tools. Maybe you don’t have the authority. Maybe you need something from someone else. Maybe you’re missing some key info. Maybe you don’t know how to do something and need to read up on it, or be taught how. Maybe you just don’t want to do it, and you should drop it altogether. Figure out what the barrier is, and solve it.
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Zenhabits.netWrite comment (0 Comments) Dead Simple Guide to Beating ProcrastinationWritten by Leo Babauta
Thursday, 07 May 2009 14:24
I’ve been procrastinating a lot lately. I actually love procrastinating and have nothing against it.
But for those of you who want to beat procrastination, here are 10 simple steps:
First make sure you really, really, really want to do it. Seriously - don’t skip this step.
Keep things simple - don’t mess with tools, formatting, anything, just start.
Make it the first thing you do today, before checking email or anything else.
Clear away everything that stands in the way of doing. Including turning off the Internet.
Just get started. Overcome the initial barrier by diving in.
Tell yourself you’re just going to do 10 minutes.
Put something you dread more at the top of your to-do list — you’ll put off doing that by doing the other things on your list. (Structured procrastination.)
Find something about it that excites you.
Forget about perfection. Just start doing it, and fix it later.
If you keep procrastinating, re-evaluate whether you really want to do it. Consider not doing it, or putting it on the backburner.
If all else fails, just take a nap or go outside and enjoy the outdoors or do nothing. Life isn’t all about productivity. Do less.
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Zenhabits.netWrite comment (0 Comments) Next Time and Up Until Now - Mistake Or Learning Experience?User Rating: / 1 PoorBest
Written by Judy H. Wright
Thursday, 07 May 2009 14:23
If you've made a mistake recently and you feel like beating yourself up about it, take a moment to think. Will this mistake affect your happiness for the rest of your life? Probably not. Say to yourself, "next time!" and think about how you'll handle a similar situation if it ever happens again. You've learned from your mistake now, instead of letting it get you down into a negative mindset.
Next Time You Will Remember
Thinking of mistakes in terms of "next time" will put them in a more positive light. It's easy to think of making a mistake as a horrible failure, something that will destroy your dignity and make you just that much less of a person. This isn't true at all! Mistakes are impossible to avoid, because they're life's way of teaching you. By making mistakes and learning from them, we become wiser as individuals. So really, mistakes are a positive thing, in the long run.
Most of What You Do is Right
There is also a difference between failing one time, and "being a failure." Sometimes when we don't succeed at something, we call ourselves failures. This couldn't be farther from the truth. There's also a difference between making a mistake, and being a mistake. Most of what you do is done well, and done right. One mistake doesn't destroy the rest of your existence! Keep things in perspective, and you'll feel so much better about yourself as a whole.
If you're tempted to wallow in self-pity, take a step back and think. Maybe you feel you haven't done your best in the past, and that you made more mistakes than you wanted to, or than you should have. But instead of labeling yourself negatively, think "up until now." If your past isn't exactly how you'd like it to have been, remember that just because it was that way in the past, doesn't mean you can't change your own future.
Your past mistakes provide learning experiences.
Let them teach you how you want to act, achieve, and succeed in the future. You can always change the way you see things, and the way you see yourself. Remember you can always do it differently next time, and your life can change for the better.
For more encouragement toward building self-confidence, visit
http://www.EncourageSelfConfidence.com - an affordable and very effective eCourse by Judy H. Wright also known as Auntie Artichoke, family relationship coach. Also join us for free Teleclasses every Thursday on enhancing family relationships. Sign up at
http://www.ArtichokePress.com You will be glad you did.
Write comment (0 Comments) The 5 Percent Trick: Finding Passion and Purpose in LifeWritten by Albert
Thursday, 07 May 2009 14:21
Have you ever sat down and thought, “What is my purpose in life? What is my passion? Where do I go from here?”
These are some of the most common questions we have all struggled with. And I am not in a position to answer it – all I can offer in this article is an opinion, slightly different from the typical response.
Are Your Goals Yours?
This statement is everywhere, and yet it is ignored so often that it bears repeating: Your purpose is your own. No one can cramp themselves into another person’s definition of happiness and success and, well, expect to be happy and successful.
The difficulties arise at this point, because of our natural reactions: “Of course I am pursuing my own passion!” But are we?
Where do our ideas of success come from? Our parents, or the media, perhaps. Maybe society in general. Be rich; be handsome; be beautiful; be famous. Are these really your goals? Where did they really come from? Can you be absolutely sure that these things will make you happy? I’m not saying yes or no, I’m just asking. It is possible that these things truly do make you happy.
The Internal Goal
But why do I mention happiness and success in the same breath? The true goal behind what we pursue is often internal – and most of the time, this internal goal is simply to be happy. If you don’t believe me, try something simple: Look at a current external goal you have, and then begin to trace it down.
For example: You want a new job. Ask yourself why. Perhaps a higher salary, or to get away from a nasty employer? What then? An easier work environment or more free time. What then? What will you have? And simply repeat this process until you can’t get any more answers. Almost always, you will find that what you are left with is an internal goal.
One of my favorite stories – you might have heard it before. There was a big city businessman who once went on holiday to a faraway beach. One day he walked past a local fisherman who was lazing around, with his fishing rod in the water, enjoying the sun and a beer.
The city man’s mind went to work immediately. The fishing spot was a gold mine, and a serious fishing business would thrive in the area. “Why are you so stupid?” he asked the fisherman. “Get some boats, hire some extra hands, and in a few years you will turn your little shop into a million-dollar business!”
The local man asked him. “And what would you do once you have a million dollars?”
The city man stared back blankly. “Why, I would have so much free time I could sit around in the sun all day and drink beer!”
Again, this idea might seem so basic that it doesn’t need repeating. And yet it is resisted by many people as a knee-jerk reaction.I remember a speaker at a seminar once, who simply stated that one can be happy even if they are financially poor. That statement was met with a lot of sarcastic comments from the audience. And yet is it really so hard to believe?
A basic level of material resources are needed, yes. But beyond that, it really makes no difference. So why do we resist it or even feel the urge to attack such a statement? What does it challenge inside us? If one honestly tries to answer these questions, the answers can be revealing.
Turning Our Goals Around
And then what? Once we see our internal goals, try one thing. Turn the goals around – achieve the internal goals first. And if, after that, you still want the external goal, you’ll find it that much easier.
Do any of these sound familiar? Once I have money, I’ll be independent. Once I find a lover, I will have higher self-esteem. Once my spouse quits drinking so much, I will be happy.
Does the opposite not seem more logical? Develop your self-esteem first, and potential lovers will find you more attractive. Grow your independence and you will find it easier to make money. And perhaps if you are happier, your mate will not see the need to drink as much.
This road becomes easier to tread when we realize that internal goals are always achievable if we put in the time and effort. External goals can be subject to limitations that cannot be overcome, no matter how hard we try. It would be almost impossible for a sickly fifty year old to become a professional boxer, for instance. But if the man’s true, internal, goal was to build confidence, it does not matter how frail or old he is – it is always possible.
For those who don’t have an external purpose in mind, try seeking out an internal goal. Look to become happier, for instance, and as you begin to take steps, you might find that an external goal begins to reveal itself.
The Impermanency of Purpose
This becomes more important when we realize outer purposes are ultimately impermanent. Our external purpose changes to reflect our inner. Purposes are not permanent. Nothing is. Stop looking for something to do for the rest of your life – it might be possible to find something that lasts forever; but most likely it will simply change in accordance with your internal state and needs.
When I was younger, I put all my energies and time into the sport of boxing, even sacrificing work and study opportunities for my obsession. Boxing was a strange choice for me, because I didn’t have much talent, and I was the quiet, introverted type. But when I think back to it now, it made complete sense – it was to fulfill an intense inner need. I had to become stronger, more confident. I needed a safe outlet for my anger and frustration. When I achieved those goals, my obsession with boxing just dropped away on its own.
Deeply realizing that goals are impermanent will also contribute to our inner peace. Here is one to stimulate thought – if you are seeking fulfillment through your external purpose, what happens when it comes to an end? It is certainly admirable to aim to be the best parent you can be, for example, but what will happen when one day your children become old enough to leave the house? When that happens, one can cling to the purpose, resist, and suffer. Or one can simply let it go, and continue in peace.
The Need for Action
Naturally, there is a time for planning and thinking, but there is also a time for action. Many people who are seeking or rethinking their life purpose stay stuck in the introspection. Maybe they do this to avoid taking risks, for fear of leaving their comfort zone, to avoid disapproval, or any other fear. And in doing so, they remain stuck in a rut.
Sometimes, the best way to find a purpose in life is to go out there and take action, even if we don’t know what we are doing!
My favorite tool at this stage is the 5% statement, created by Nathaniel Branden, who is widely considered to be the father of the self-esteem movement. It works by allowing you to take steps in small increments. Trying to change completely overnight, as some might suggest, often creates fear, uncertainty, and resistance.
A 5% statement is split into 2 halves. Examples would be:
If I were to be 5% more responsible today, I would ___________.
If I were to be 5% less lazy today, I would ___________.
The first part of the statement doesn’t have to change. But every morning when we wake up, we think of something that fills in blank, and then do it! As you can see, 5% is small and harmless enough to let us overcome our fears and procrastination. Being flexible enough to do different things everyday in pursuit of the same goal also keeps us from boredom and routine. Even better, it encourages us to think of new ideas to try (although we can simply do the same activity 5% more each time).
You can use this for anything you plan to do – begin a new exercise routine, reduce procrastination, improve your workflow, or even your personal relationships. And if 5% seems too little, don’t worry – it builds up rather beautifully.
Once momentum begins, sometimes the difficulty comes in stopping!
