A Stick in Your Flow Spokes
May 11, 2026
Flow state seemed like a myth. Along with the runner’s high and Nickelback fans. Turns out, though, I was skipping some non-negotiable steps.
I say, “focus on the before and after.” A lot. Flow state has a before-and-after as well.
Skipping things like "do you actually care about this?" and "do you have any room in your life for it?" Meanwhile, waxing on about your dopamine, morning routine, binaural beats, and your cold plunge. A month later, you're still not in "flow", but now you have some ring that lets you measure some things on an app, and now you care about that.
Step 1 — Do you care? Not "if you care, your parents will love you." Or "CEOs care about this, and that's why Steve Jobs lived so long and had great abs." Do you care about the thing you're trying to flow into? If you don't, no checklist will save it. Please find something you actually care about and come back.
Step 2 — Do you have capacity? A nervous system running on high alert, and trying to solve the world's problems, will not enter a state of flow. A full list of things to do and open loops you haven't done is just a stick in your flow spokes. If you don't have room or capacity, flow state isn't the problem; you're just a Dixie cup trying to be an above-ground pool.
If you find out at step 2 that the room is too crowded, stop there.
That's not failing the checklist. That's what the checklist is for.
Go step by step, like painting a wall. Move the bookshelf, get some tape, put a tarp down, and then if that takes your whole day, make space tomorrow for painting.
The other four steps are probably what you'd expect from a flow checklist.
One more thing. The after. The whole game is also learning to turn off, rest, and recover. I took a little jab at our beloved Mr. Jobs earlier — but the real point is this: flow state and possession are not the same thing. Learn the difference.
You can find the Flow State Checklist in the practice library, in the Daily Practices Category.
