Page 289 - Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results

* I have a pet theor y about what happens when we achieve a ow state. is
isn’t con rmed. It’s just my guess. Psychologists commonly refer to the brain

as operating in two modes: System 1 and System 2. System 1 is fast and
instinctual. Generally speaking, processes you can per form ver y quickly
(like habits) are gover ned by System 1. Meanwhile, System 2 controls
thinking processes that are more e ortful and slow—like calculating the
answer to a difficult math problem. With regard to ow, I like to imagine

System 1 and System 2 as residing on opposite ends of the spectrum of
thinking. e more automatic a cognitive process is, the more it slides
toward the System 1 side of the spectrum. e more e ortful a task is, the

more it slides toward System 2. Flow, I believe, resides on the razor’s edge
bet ween System 1 and System 2. You are fully using all of your automatic
and implicit knowledge related to the task while also working hard to rise to
a challenge beyond your ability. Both brain modes are fully engaged. e
conscious and nonconscious are working per fectly in sync.