Have you ever felt in your element, performing a task so seamlessly that the hours just slipped away without you realizing it? When you find yourself in this state, it’s known as a ‘flow state’. This concept was developed by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who identified a number of flow proneness traits associated with the autotelic personality. These flow proneness traits allow individuals to experience heightened levels of concentration, creativity and insight.
It can be difficult to quantify or measure how people experience flow in daily life, but now a new 13-item questionnaire seeks to address that challenge. By analyzing these items and seeing how they align with autotelic traits, researchers have been able to begin measuring the levels of ‘flow proneness’ in a person’s daily life. So what exactly are autotelic traits, and why are they so important to flow experiences?
Autotelic traits are deeply inner qualities of identity, meaning that they shape a person's approach both to major goals and daily activities. Autotelic personalities have positive outlooks, demonstrate curiosity and creativity, and display a sense of purposefulness. Positive self-talk, intrinsic motivation, and control over one’s circumstances are all considered components of the autotelic personality.
These traits help to unlock a person’s ‘flow state’ when it relates to daily tasks and hobbies, or specifically to major life milestones. People with strong autotelic traits may take extra pleasure in something as simple as a leisurely walk or a day spent reading and writing. They can often stay relatively undistracted by external stressors and instead focus on their chosen tasks, using it to relax and destress.
Using the 13-item questionnaire, people can not only assess their current flow proneness, but also learn how to improve those areas and achieve higher flow scores. For example, if the questionnaire scores indicate that a person is not very confidently taking risks or mastering new and challenging tasks, they can make changes to develop their autotelic traits in order to reach peak flow.
Having certain psychological characteristics, such as flow proneness, can markedly influence how one navigates through life and experiences success. It does not necessarily mean that the person has higher intelligence or more natural talent then others, but instead that they are able to enter into states of relaxed, effortless concentration and stay connected with their goals. Through the use of this 13-item questionnaire, and by actively pursuing autotelic traits, anyone can gain more control over their emotional state and discover more easily their deeper flow.
The key to achieving this deeper flow is to relentlessly pursue it, allowing oneself to feel it in both major life milestones and everyday tasks. Taking a few moments to pause and reflect will help better access feelings of bliss and provide time to restore the soul. Allowing oneself to find true joy in the mundane can open up opportunities to encounter deeper flow experiences, and living life according to one’s own values and passions is essential in pursuing them.
Understanding one's autotelic traits and daily flow proneness will help people live a more meaningful and fulfilling life. Finding the connection between the two, and working to strengthen one’s autotelic personality, is an important step towards unlocking a greater capacity for joy, insight and creativity.
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