9 Ways To Make Hard Work Easy
Oh, that elusive flow state, that peak psychological mode where you’re fully immersed in, focused on, and enjoying your activity…
The first hit is free. Then, once you’re hooked on the creative life, it falls on you to recreate the flow, and let’s be real: most days, you fail. Frustratingly, work is… work, made all the more painful knowing that, if only we could achieve flow, it could be play.
Good news: this is no longer a matter of “if” but simply “when.” Even better news, “when” has arrived.
“Flow is being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz.”
Enter Playstorming.
Playstorming combines artificial intelligence with modern creativity science to help you achieve flow.
1️⃣ Generative + Collaborative AI – The Playstorming Alpha app liberates your ideas rather than giving ideas for you. You own your creations.
2️⃣ Backed by Creativity Science – Our app is designed using the latest research, including studies from Susan A. Jackson & Herbert W. Marsh on how to achieve creativity on command.
A 10-year study by McKinsey & Company found that executives in flow are up to five times more productive than usual.
How to Unlock Your Flow State
Jackson & Marsh found that flow states are neurologically identical across activity, whether we’re talking athletes, actors, or advertising creatives like yourself. From this observation, they developed the Flow State Scale to measure nine dimensions of flow. As you read this list, reflect on which ones you experience when doing your work:
✔ Balance between challenge and skill – Too easy? You’re bored. Too hard? You quit. Find the sweet spot.
✔ Merging of action and awareness – You’re so absorbed that thinking and doing are one.
✔ Clear goals – Well-defined objectives provide direction.
✔ Immediate feedback – Find a way to get real-time feedback.
✔ Complete concentration – No distractions, full focus.
✔ Sense of control – You feel in charge, even when challenged.
✔ Loss of self-consciousness – You forget yourself, absorbed in the work.
✔ Altered perception of time – Time flies yet slows down.
✔ Enjoyment – The activity itself is rewarding.
The next time you feel stuck or uninspired, revisit this list. Ask yourself: Which of these elements am I missing? What can I adjust to unlock my flow?
If you’re still stuck (or simply want to procrastiwork some more), you can take our quiz on Flow Preference to uncover your optimal flow state so you can use it to your advantage.
Keep flowin’!
The Playstorming Lab
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Citation: McKinsey & Company. "Flow State and Productivity: Unlocking Peak Performance." Accessed January 4, 2025. Link
Jackson, S. A., & Marsh, H. (1996). Development and validation of a scale to measure optimal experience: The Flow State Scale. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 18(1), 17–35. Link