The big insight Csikszentmihalyi and Bennet figured out in 1975 with their study of flow wasn’t necessarily the description of any one individual’s experience as much as it was in the sheer number of data points. With over 175 interviews, patterns started to emerge. With so many reference points, they were able to cross reference …
In 1975 Csikszentmihalyi and Bennet set out to craft a model to gain insight into that seemingly magical space of being in the zone. From professional chess players to mountain climbers, they recognized a similar theme. Person after person mentioned being able to slip into a space of total concentration, a place where focus became …
[003 Research Review | FUTURES SELF Series :1] The future self exercise, crafting a clear picture of who you are going to be at some distant point in the future anywhere from 9 to 20 years, is often a favorite in life coach training. Essentially, the exercise is one in shifting perspective, to playing out the next decade or two, and seeing yourself with the amassed wisdom of those years.
[002 Research Review | PSW Series: 1] In 1989 University of Wisconsin-Madison psychologist Carol Ryff undertook the previously unattempted theoretical challenge of defining the dimensions of psychological well-being. Her resulting publication, “Happiness Is Everything, Or Is It? Explorations on the Meaning of Psychological Well-Being”, first advances the theory of well-being itself, then analyzes the results of a real world study designed to test it.
[001 Research Review | FLOW Series: 1] In 1971, Csikszentmihalyi and Bennet proposed a conceptual model for play. The model theorized that play is fun when your skill in the game is matched with the challenge of the game. The result is that you can act without thinking, propelled from moment to moment by a sense of timelessness, intrinsic focus, and total enjoyment.
