• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Engineering Management Institute

  • About
    • Meet Anthony Fasano, P.E.
    • EMI’s Mission, Vision & Values
    • Meet Team EMI
  • Content
    • Blog
    • Podcasts
      • The Engineering Career Coach Podcast
      • The Civil Engineering Podcast
        • Women in Civil Engineering
        • Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs
        • The Civil Engineering CEO Podcast
      • The Structural Engineering Channel
      • The Geotechnical Engineering Podcast
      • The Engineering Quality Control Podcast
      • The Engineering Project Management Podcast
      • AEC Engineering and Technology Podcast
      • This Week in Civil Engineering
    • TV
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Recommended Reading
    • Sponsors
  • Services
    • Training
    • Hiring Solutions
    • Webinars
  • FE-PE Exams
  • Clients
  • Contact
  • Training

  • About
    • Meet Anthony Fasano, P.E.
    • EMI’s Mission, Vision & Values
    • Meet Team EMI
  • Content
    • Blog
    • Podcasts
      • The Engineering Career Coach Podcast
      • The Civil Engineering Podcast
        • Women in Civil Engineering
        • Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs
        • The Civil Engineering CEO Podcast
      • The Structural Engineering Channel
      • The Geotechnical Engineering Podcast
      • The Engineering Quality Control Podcast
      • The Engineering Project Management Podcast
      • AEC Engineering and Technology Podcast
      • This Week in Civil Engineering
    • TV
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Recommended Reading
    • Sponsors
  • Services
    • Training
    • Hiring Solutions
    • Webinars
  • FE-PE Exams
  • Clients
  • Contact
  • Training

3 Quick Tricks to Trigger the Precious Flow State

March 7, 2022 By EMI

This is a guest post by Jacob Valentien, PE 

We all have moments or days where no matter how many cups of coffee are consumed, we just can’t get into a productive state. Sometimes the to-do list just continues to get longer, and you just can’t decide what needs to be done next. You have that one task that has been lingering for too long and you are in search of the required motivation to start and dedication to finish. As I sit down to write this article, I am going through this exact situation.

It is important to understand that motivation comes and goes like the tide. Discipline is the trait that carries you through the moments of fleeting motivation. As you press through those tough moments, sometimes you trigger the flow state where getting that work done becomes much easier. There are many sources of great insights on what this flow state is and how to unlock it.

I have stumbled upon a few tricks that can help facilitate entering into that flow state — where the work becomes easier, the creativity becomes unlocked, and the tasks on the to-do list become easier and easier to check off. Here are three unique ways to possibly trigger that precious flow state:

Momentum Snowball

Take a look at that ever-expanding to-do list and review it to see which tasks you can knock out quickly and with very little effort. Complete those tasks and continue to gain momentum by tackling tasks in increasing complexity and effort required. As you pick up momentum, the work will become easier and easier. This can ultimately lead you to the task you have been dreading but by that time, you are engaged and ready to tackle it.

Reference: https://startthesnowball.com/what-is-the-snowball/

Binaural Beats

Binaural beats use selective sound wave therapy that can help with increasing cognitive flexibility, focus, and attention to detail. According to research articles, there are five different brainwave states that have different effects: Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. While Delta and Theta are best for calming and meditation effects, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma can be utilized for focused attention, cognitive thinking, and peak awareness. Spotify has some playlists that make for great background noise as you start your work and try to build momentum and enter into that precious flow state. The playlists start utilizing Alpha frequencies and slowly increase frequencies through the Beta phase and into the higher frequency Gamma phase. In my experience, this background noise allows you to sink into a productivity mode and zero in on the task at hand.

Reference: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/your-brain-on-binaural-beats Design by Ruth Basagoitia

Pomodoro Technique

This technique is more of a time management system that encourages both moments of work and moments of rest. Set a timer on your phone for a short period of time — I like to use 25 minutes, where I only focus on one task and turn off all notifications from email, text, social media, etc. When that timer goes off, I take a break and take a quick walk around the office or check my email for five minutes. Once that five-minute break is up, get right back to work. Doing this just a couple of times usually unlocks longer periods of focus, reaching the point where I don’t want to take that next five-minute break but rather continue through until I finish the task at hand.

Reference: https://sketchplanations.com/the-pomodoro-technique

Summary

Next time you find yourself in a lull and need to trigger a productive state, give one of these methods a try or better yet, combine all three into a flow-triggering productive stack! Hopefully this helps you dwindle down that ever-growing to-do list.

About the Author Jacob W. Valentien, PE 

Flow StateJacob is a Senior Project Manager with Pacheco Koch Consulting Engineers, Inc. and has over 9 years of engineering experience in municipal infrastructure with a focus on water & wastewater treatment design and construction. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Texas. He has designed projects and managed teams on local and state public & private sector projects. Jacob is responsible for project management and delivery, business development in the public works sector in Central Texas, and client success. He previously completed the 2019-2020 Emerging Leaders program through ACEC Houston, has presented on topics such as pre-chlorinated pipe bursting to the Association of Water Board Directors, and has co-authored a technical article on Wastewater Treatment Plant Design. He also has developed curriculum, organized programming, and led project management and professional development training courses for his teams.  

I hope you enjoyed this week’s post by guest author Jacob W. Valentien, PE.  If you’re interested in your firm possibly joining the Civil Engineering Collective, please contact us here or call us at 800-920-4007.

I hope you’ll join us.

Anthony Fasano, P.E.
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success

Related Posts

  • TECC 111: Engineering Your Leadership to Generate Flow
  • TECC 166: Learning to Lead through Leadership Flow
  • TECC 83: Improving Your Public Speaking and Getting into the Flow as an Engineer with Author Rashid Kapadia
  • TECC 247: How LEDs Changed the World of Engineering (Solid State Lighting)
  • TECC 234: Professional Networking Tips and Tricks for Engineers

Filed Under: Civil Engineering Tagged With: background noise, Binaural Beats, discipline, Flow State, gain momentum, Jacob W. Valentien, Momentum Snowball, Motivation, pick up momentum, pomodoro technique, productive state, productivity mode, time management, to-do list

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

And Get Custom Content Delivered To You Weekly

PM Training

engineering management lessons

career readiness

Categories

  • AECT – AEC Engineering and Technology Podcast
  • Blog
    • Business Development
    • Business/Entrepreneurship
    • Career Goals and Challenges
    • Communication/Public Speaking
    • COVID19
    • Credentials
    • Enlightenment
    • Ethics & Integrity
    • Job Search/Salary/Relocation
    • Leadership/Management
    • Mentoring
    • Networking/Client Relations
    • News and Events
    • Organization/Productivity/Time Management
    • Personal Development and Professionalism
    • Program Management
    • Project Management
    • Travel
    • Work Life Balance
  • Civil Engineering
  • Engineering Career TV
  • Engineering Technology
  • TCEP-The Civil Engineering Podcast
    • Business Development
    • Business/Entrepreneurship
    • Career Goals and Challenges
    • Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs
    • Communication & Public Speaking
    • Credentials
    • Ethics/Integrity
    • Infrastructure
    • Job Search/Salary/Relocation
    • Leadership/Management
    • Mentoring
    • Project Management
    • Women in Engineering
  • TECC Podcast-The Engineering Career Coach Podcast
    • Business/Entrepreneurship
    • Career Game Changers
    • Career Goals and Challenges
    • Communication/Public Speaking
    • Credentials
    • Enlightenment
    • Job Search/Salary/Relocation
    • Leadership/Management
    • Mentoring
    • Networking/Client Relations
    • News and Events
    • Organization/Productivity/Time Management
    • Personal Development and Professionalism
    • Project Management
    • Work Life Balance
  • TEPM – The Engineering Project Management Podcast
  • TEQC – The Engineering Quality Control Podcast
  • TGEP – The Geotechnical Engineering Podcast
    • Tunneling Series
  • TSEC-The Structural Engineering Channel
  • TWiCE
  • Uncategorized
  • Women in Engineering

TECC Sidebar Featured Final

ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE

We Can Help You:

  • Build solutions to attract talented professionals.
  • Develop your staff’s people skills.
  • Create career roadmaps for your staff.
  • Provide PM training for your professionals.
  • Build custom development programs.
  • Scale sustainably.

Location:

50 E. Ridgewood Avenue #129

Ridgewood NJ, 07450

800-920-4007

Copyright © 2023 • All Rights Reserved • Property of Engineering Management Institute • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy