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SK

Steven Kotler

06/20/25

@ Big Think

To access flow's triggers, you should break down tasks so that they are only slightly more challenging than your current skill level.

Video

BT

The science of effortlessness: How to activate flow | Steven Kotler: Full Interview

@ Big Think

The science of effortlessness: How to activate flow | Steven Kotler: Full Interview

06/20/25

Related Takeaways

SK

Steven Kotler

06/20/25

@ Big Think

The challenge of a task should exceed your skillset by about 4% to 5% to find the sweet spot for flow.

SK

Steven Kotler

06/20/25

@ Big Think

There are 22 triggers that can activate flow states, which are preconditions that lead to more flow.

SK

Steven Kotler

06/20/25

@ Big Think

Challenge-skills balance is the golden rule of flow; it occurs when the challenge of a task slightly exceeds our skillset, creating a sweet spot between boredom and anxiety.

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Robert Greene

10/09/22

@ Lewis Howes

You need challenges in life to improve. Choose projects that are slightly above your current skill level to feel excited and engaged.

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Steven Kotler

06/20/25

@ Big Think

Fear can block flow by raising anxiety levels, which disrupts the challenge-skills balance necessary for optimal performance.

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Andrew Ng

05/29/25

@ LangChain

The challenge for businesses is breaking down existing processes into sequential micro-tasks to create agentic workflows.

SK

Steven Kotler

06/20/25

@ Big Think

In flow, we experience an amplification of physical abilities such as strength, stamina, and endurance, preparing us for fight or flight or for creative collaboration.

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Steven Kotler

06/20/25

@ Big Think

To prepare for flow, align your work sessions with your natural circadian rhythms and block out distractions for 90 to 120 minutes of focused work.

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Michael Truell

05/01/25

@ Lenny's Podcast

New users of Cursor should break tasks into smaller parts to better leverage the model's capabilities, rather than attempting to complete large tasks in one go.