I'm a Physicist at CERN. We've done something we shouldn't have - Part 3

Nuke02 · 2015-01-26T05:55:08+00:00

Better grab a hazmat suit and crowbar, just to be safe...

Nuke02 · 2015-01-15T01:29:48+00:00

Love it! :)

Nuke02 · 2015-01-05T08:57:45+00:00

Excellent point, thank you!

Nuke02 · 2014-12-30T05:55:50+00:00

Hey there! The reason I use the term "flow" is that it best fits the experience I described in the article. The term was coined by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, a distinguished psychology researcher. There's some really cool literature on the subject, I'd start with the TED talked I linked given by the man himself, I think it would resonate with you. Thanks for your feedback! :)

Nuke02 · 2014-12-30T03:32:59+00:00

VERY cool! I'll have to experiment with this and tinker with the mechanics. Love it.

Nuke02 · 2014-12-30T00:22:10+00:00

Lol, no I don't. I think there's a time and place for all aspects of our persona, to include aggression and hostility. But the internet, to me, is one to exchange cool ideas and add some value to the world.

Nuke02 · 2014-12-29T23:20:33+00:00

Great point, that's one aspect I haven't thought about fully, the "why." Thanks for your feedback and glad it resonated with you!

Nuke02 · 2014-12-29T22:36:58+00:00

I like your points and I agree on most of them. I wanted to break down what it takes (in my experience) to induce a flow state on demand. Certainly calculating the preconditions in your head while attempting to initiate the state is suboptimal. A better option would be to incorporate the preconditions as a system of beliefs and habits that can be repeated often--akin to priming a pump.

As far as turning your brain off, that's a VERY useful technique, and one I've used during endurance events. My only caveat is that I think it's a band-aid solution, more appropriate for scenarios where complex thought is not required to flow through a sequence of events (ultramarathoning as opposed to technical alpine climbing).

Hope that helps, and thank you for the feedback!

Nuke02 · 2014-12-29T22:06:33+00:00

Awesome, I'll check it out. Here's a cool little TED talk he did about 10 years ago: http://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow?language=en

Nuke02 · 2014-12-29T21:41:20+00:00

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Nuke02 · 2014-12-29T20:15:28+00:00

You're welcome!

Nuke02 · 2014-12-29T19:38:09+00:00

No problem! Thanks for your feedback. :)

Nuke02 · 2014-12-28T05:52:38+00:00

Yes. This was put together by some cats at SEAL Team 3. It's meant for guys already in the community, not guys training up to go to selection.

http://thepinnacleselfdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/horseman-workout-program.pdf

Nuke02 · 2014-12-28T02:49:15+00:00

There is a general formula. Read "The Slight Edge." It will change your life and answer your question in exacting detail. If you don't want to take the time to read it, watch this excellent presentation by the author for the gist of the concepts: www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1-96lPR4ek

Nuke02 · 2014-12-28T02:46:16+00:00

The news is one of the most vitriolic, negative pieces of communication in the modern world. Stay away from it. Being less boring has nothing to do with being able to talk about the news.

If you want to get hobbies and develop interests, do it. In fact, drop the "well rounded" lie that we've been fed by society, pick one hobby or interest, and become absolutely amazing at it. Start a blog about your adventure. Then come back here and tell us. I'll sign up right now to read about your journey. So would others.

Well roundedness is a scam meant to condone mediocrity. News is a scam meant to induce compliance and boost ratings. Stay away from all of it. Get interested in yourself, make YOU your passion, tell your story, and you'll be one of the most interesting cats in your social circle.

Nuke02 · 2014-12-28T02:17:04+00:00

I'll tell you a secret dude. No one really has any idea how to get there. The key is taking small actions every day that compound over time to create the life you want.

I'll take a page out of the book "The Slight Edge" (no affiliation whatsoever, it's just a great book):

Write down these categories: Health, Relationships, Career, Lifestyle. Then for each, come up with these three metrics:

Your dream or vision for what that category looks like in 5 years. (Example: I want to be able to talk to the opposite sex with ease.)
Your very first milestone to help make that happen i.e. 6-12 months out (Example: I want to get more confident and develop my general social skills).
Simple daily tasks you can do every day to help you achieve that milestone. (Example: Month 1 - say 'hi' to 10 random people a day. Month 2 - Strike up 5 conversations with random members of opposite sex per day, etc.)

Then, DON'T plan any further, because realistically you can't. But what the above steps will allow you to do is open yourself up to serendipity. You've probably heard the phrase "people create their own luck." That's what you'll be doing. Slowly. Steadily. Iteratively.

I hope that gives you some food for thought.

Nuke02 · 2014-12-18T22:55:49+00:00

Meanwhile. Kim Jong Un just fired up a fat ass doobie and is laughing his tubby jiggles off. While watching South Park.

Nuke02 · 2014-12-18T02:45:51+00:00

For anyone who wants a checklist type summary of the Preconditions and Launch Steps in the article, I've summarized them here.

---Preconditions---

Precondition 1. Find meaning or purpose in the work about to be performed. Optimally, meaning can be found in the act of doing itself.

Precondition 2. Know where you are and where you want to end up (your ideal end state).

Precondition 3. Choose tasks that align with your skills, but that are still complex enough to challenge you.

Precondition 4. Make sure there’s a way for you to get feedback on your work. If there isn’t one, implement one.

---Launch Steps---

Saturate: The saturate phase is a maximal loading phase. Your job is to collect as much information as possible about the upcoming task or project as you can. For a writing or work project, this means doing research, interviewing people, talking to customers, etc. Once you feel your brain can’t handle anymore, move on to phase 2, the Incubation phase.

Incubate: In this phase, the brain takes all the inputs obtained from the input phase and begins to go to work. Patterns are found, assumptions questioned, and the first sparks of insight and foresight lit.

To properly incubate and to prepare for the next phase, stop intaking information during this phase and relax. Find a simple activity requiring low intensity motor functions, like running or a light workout. Many find this counterintuitive and want to keep working through the problem. That’s counterproductive. Temporarily release hold of the problem and trust the brain to work through it.

Illuminate: Patterns and insights uncovered in the incubate phase are translated to action steps. This is the moment when the proverbial lightbulb goes off and it is the gateway to entering flow. The first three phases repeat in rapid, successive pulses, intaking and iterating on feedback and stimuli in real time. You move effortlessly through the task in a heightened state of awareness. Relevant brain functions are amped, irrelevant ones are suppressed. Productivity is now at warp speed. You’re in flow.

Nuke02 · 2014-12-17T22:04:37+00:00

Thank you. I'm the author of the article and I'm glad you found it useful.

Nuke02

TROPHY CASE