Yesterday I watched a video that described a two-dimensional grid where the x and y axes were “skill” and “challenge” respectively. A range surrounding y=x was

Yesterday I watched a video that described a two-dimensional grid where the x and y axes were “skill” and “challenge” respectively. A range surrounding y=x was the flow state. Below it was boredom (skills exceed demands) and above it was anxiety (demands exceed skills). Flow arises when our skills align to what we must do; not something easy, not something hard. The presenter also noted that amount of time in flow correlated with life satisfaction, and that it’s also when people do their best work, and time moves the fastest. That’s the sweet spot to be. Where life is challenging, so you aren’t bored, but not so challenging to where you are overwhelmed. It seems the author urges people to flip from the boredom side of the flow state to the anxiety side because both of those are where time feels like an eternity (which anyone who has been in either of those states can attest to). I think a better idea is to question if what the author is proposing, trying to make time feel slower, is a good idea. Personally, I think the exact opposite is the case; all the best moments I’ve had are ones that went by “too quick”, and we can’t have our cake and eat it too. Time going by slowly is likely a canary in the coal mine for something being wrong.