## Outcomes -V- They're great. How to keep them coming? --- Flow brings outcomes: - emotional - it makes us happy - material - fruits of our labour Outcomes are what we're after. -V- ### But sometimes... we get derailed by bad mood - by negative events or emotions around us - due to our own failing - by recalling a negative past and lose our flow. -V- Negativity captures our attention more than positivity.
Negativity and pessimism reinforce themselves. -V- Negative feedback loop may keep us down, unproductive, in a bad mood. -V- We need **emotional stability** to keep on going. --- ### Hamster in a box

-V- ### Hamster in a box - when put in a box with a lid, it will try to jump out - and after a day or two it will give up and never try again - ...even once the lid is removed -V- #### Learned helplessness [Martin Seligman] --- #### Hamster Procrastination Cycle 1. Do nothing 2. Have regrets 3. Doubt yourself 4. Feel helpless 5. GOTO 1 -V- #### Sounds familiar! 1. Do nothing 2. Have regrets 3. Doubt yourself 4. Feel helpless 5. GOTO 1 --- #### Positive Cycle of Flow 1. Do meaningful actions 2. Feel good 3. Growing skills 4. Believe in yourself 5. GOTO 1 -V- My morning routine of flow definitely helped! --- #### How to break out? --- ### Time Perspectives - positive past - negative past - present - future [Philip Zimbardo] -V- #### Focusing on - ~~positive past~~ - **negative past** - **present** - ~~future~~ #### results in a hamster cycle, depressions. -V- #### Refocusing on - **positive past** - ~~negative past~~ - ~~present~~ - **future** #### breaks out of the hamster cycle. --- #### How to orient yourself towards the future? Personal Vision --- #### How to perceive your past positively? Choice of attitude --- ### TOOL: Choice of attitude (originally named *Inner-game*; not related to Timothy Gallwey's work) -V- We are free to choose our reaction to events. [Viktor Frankl] -V- Interpreting seemingly *negative events* as **neutral** or even **positive**.

#### Default: Failure → 😟

#### Choice: Failure → 😐/😀

Micro-habit that can be trained. -V- ### My switched attitudes 1. Burying past failures - 😱 "I caused a car crash!" - 😌 "No one got hurt, I learned from it and now I have an awesome story to tell!" 2. Handling rejections - 🤬 "They refused my merge request!" - 🙂 "I got feedback, I can improve it and make it even better for next time." --- ### TOOL: Three Good Things [Martin Seligman] (Learned Optimism) -V- At the end of every day, think about 3 things that went well for you. -V- #### Why? Increases positive emotions, hope and optimism. Strengthens your focus on positive past. -V- ### My routine? Done daily during dinner as a family. Today, I liked that... 1. I had a nice chat with my coworker 2. I resolved one bug 3. I finally gave my talk on procrastination!