This week: Hustle & Flow Edited by: Jeff  
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"Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief."
— C.S. Lewis
About The Editor: Greetings! My name is Jeff and I'm one of the regular editors of the official Action/Adventure Newsletter! I've been a member of Writing.com since 2003, and have edited more than 400 newsletters across the site in that time. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me directly or submit feedback in the comment box at the bottom of this newsletter.
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Hustle & Flow
Hungarian-American psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi is largely credited with articulating the concept of "flow," the mental state of being fully immersed in a feeling of being completely absorbed in an activity with an energized focus and full enjoyment. Sometimes referred to as being "in the zone" or "locked in," this can be experienced across a variety of disciplines.
 Writers might experience it as a period of time where the words just spring effortlessly into your mind and you write pages and pages without having to consciously stop and think about what you want to write next.
Athletes might experience it as a rote activity (shooting free throws in basketball, returning a serve in tennis, driving a Formula 1 race car, etc.) where there's no longer conscious thought going into the movements and the form; it just happens.
A flow state can even occur in situations like social interactions, where a conversation with someone is so effortless, so engaging, that cease paying attention to the environment around you and lose track of time.
One of the key features of this flow state is that thinking takes a backseat to instinct. It's the point at which your ego, your internal critic, and your external worries take a break and you just exist "in the moment" with the experience. And while there is plenty to be said about the practice of goal-setting and hustling to maintain a rigorous personal discipline that will allow you to reach your external objectives (deadlines, personal ambitions, etc.), it's also important to remember that sometimes the objective of attaining a sense of peace, connection, or enjoyment and be the goal in and of itself.
So how does one go about attaining this "flow" state? It's easier said than done.
The first step is to get yourself into a head space (and physical space) where flow is possible. If you're the kind of person who finds yourself distracted by the environment around you, the chances of you achieving a flow state in a coffee shop or at the local library is probably pretty small. If you're the kind of person who can't relax until all the chores are done, you probably won't be able to find a state of flow with your writing or your prayer/meditation time if there are still dishes in the kitchen sink that you know need to be done. Setting yourself up for success by finding the ideal environment - both internal and external - is the all-important first step.
After that, you have to give yourself permission to have intrusive thoughts and get sidetracked. Flow is not something that you can force upon yourself, and some days are easier than others. If you do have intrusive thoughts that are detrimental to achieving a flow state, treat them like "passing clouds" in a meditation session. Let them drift in, acknowledge them, and then let them drift away. There's no shame in being distracted or getting sidetracked; just allow yourself to acknowledge that fact and center yourself again on what you're trying to achieve.
Give yourself permission to fail. There will be times when a flow state just isn't achievable, even when all of the conditions are ideally suited. It happens, and it's okay to recognize that some days just won't be "flow" days. The more you can condition yourself to accept that sometimes it's just not going to happen, the more likely you are to not treat it like a big deal or stress out about it when it doesn't happen. That's key to a mindset where flow can happen; remember, you're trying to remove external influences and worries.
Lastly, repeat the practice regularly. Achieving a flow state is a lot like riding a bike. While you never really forget "how" to ride a bike once you've learned, there's such a thing as being out of practice with it. It is more difficult to ride a bike when you only ride once every few months than it is if you ride every day. Develop a regular habit of trying to achieve a flow state with your work, and you'll find it easier to slip into a flow state than if you're only making infrequent attempts. Keep in mind, too, that you don't have to achieve a flow state to write (or pray, or meditate). It's certainly easier to do those things when you're "in the zone," but you can still accomplish things even if you're not. If you make efforts to achieve a flow state part of your regular habits, you will still have the results of those habits at the end of the day, whether they were created in a flow state or not.
The next time you're making time to write, to pray, to meditate, or otherwise spend time working on something that's internally important to you, try to create the ideal conditions for you to achieve a flow state while you're doing it. More than whatever you accomplish with that time, the experience of being outside the everyday hustle and into a state of flow is worth pursuing in and of itself.
Until next time,
Jeff
If you're interested in checking out my work:
"New & Noteworthy Things" | "Blogocentric Formulations"
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Feedback from "Spiritual Newsletter (January 21, 2026)" about irreligion and labels:
I am irreligious. I call myself an atheist after years of agnosticism, but probably veer towards secular humanism. It took me a long time not to classify all Christians the same. I do have some stereotypes I cannot shake of Christians, but because of friends and relatives (especially ex-in-laws) who are devoutly Christian and how they have treated me since my life spiralled downwards, I have come to realise that my assumptions were wrong. My best friend is a Christian; we just agree not to talk belief. The labelling does go all ways.
Here on WdC there are those who I think of genuine people, and they are Christian, but it does not define them. Then there are those who feel the need to argue and try to prove their religion and proselytise at every turn (one stalks me in the forums... constantly! even after I blocked them!) and abuses me for not believing in their religion.
So that rather long-winded piece of waffle is to say: Thank you for this newsletter. I think the world might just be a better place if we stop the whole labelling thing all together.
— S🤦♂️ 
Jeff, I really appreciated this. You put into words something I’ve felt for a long time but haven’t always known how to say. The way you distinguish between irreligion and the many beliefs within it mirrors the same truth we often forget about faith itself: people aren’t labels.
Your point about how easily assumptions harden on both sides really resonated with me. This felt thoughtful, balanced, and rooted in lived experience rather than ideology. Thank you for saying it so clearly and with such grace.
Kind wishes,
Tee
— TeeGateM  |
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Spiritual: February 18, 2026 Issue [#13598]
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