Friends,

Short and sweet hello from me this week as I try to get on top of setting myself up for success in 2026. I hope your year has started with focus and excitement.

Small shout out to those in Sydney on the 5th of Feb, or Melbourne on the 12th of Feb. I’m speaking at an event with my friends at HiBob, where we’re kicking off their In Good Company community, live and IRL.

While the events are in person, the community is global. If you haven’t joined yet, I encourage you to (no matter what kind of HR you do or where you do it).

Enjoy this week’s edition ✌️

Matt

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This weeks article features a topic that has played an important part in the success of my career and my business to date — entering flow state.

With a busy consulting business, two newsletters, a podcast, an annual conference and many other ‘projects’, it’s understandable that people commonly ask me “how do you do so much?”. The answer, in large part, is the teachings you’re about to be treated to in this piece.

When reflecting on how to bring this topic to you, Dave was an obvious choice. He was an important addition to the inaugural Startup People Summit, enabling mindful breaks throughout the intensity of the content. And, he gave a session on the topic of entering flow state at last year’s Something-Fest in Brisbane, which was rapidly consumed by founders and operators alike.

I hope you’ll find it a practical overview of how to enter flow state, and to do your best work.

In the zone. 

We’ve all been there at some point.

That seemingly elusive state where time falls away and we become totally absorbed in our present experience.

Where our awareness merges with our action. 

Where work feels effortless and our performance elevates to new levels. 

It's the state of mind that allows many of the world's greatest artists, athletes and creative minds to do what they do best. 

It’s known as flow state.  

The term ‘flow state’ was first popularised by the Hungarian-American psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi while studying positive psychology - specifically how people find and pursue happiness - in the 1970's.

According to Csikszentmihalyi, flow state experiences are characterised by total absorption in the present moment, feeling of mastery, feeling of pleasure, freedom from self-consciousness, and a sense of timelessness. 

Modern research demonstrates that the outcomes and benefits of being in flow are extraordinary. 

The University of Sydney saw a 430% increase in problem solving ability when in flow, and McKinsey & Company found a 500% increase in executive productivity. 

Neurologically, flow is an altered state of consciousness. 

And, as you can probably tell, it’s the optimal state of consciousness to be in if we want to express our full creative potential. 

Getting there ain’t easy though. 

Against the backdrop of our stressed out, plugged in, always on, semi exhausted, deeply distracted, cortisol fueled modern day lives, it’s almost impossible. 

In fact, research from The Flow Research Collective found that a typical professional office worker only does 11 minutes of focused work a day. Eleven! 

But, like all things, getting there is much easier if you have a plan.

While for most people flow feels spontaneous, research shows it reliably emerges when a specific set of internal and external conditions are met. 

When you learn to create those conditions deliberately, flow becomes far more accessible. Even repeatable.

Flow begins in the nervous system, not the mind.

If your body is stressed, scattered, or fatigued, flow simply won’t happen. Your brain prioritises survival over creativity every time.

Before attempting deep focus, regulate first. Slow your breathing. Ground your attention. Shift out of fight-or-flight and into a calm, alert state.

Read, meditate, surf, dance, garden, cook, walk your dog, play your instrument - do whatever feels right for you to shift you into a calm, centred state.  

Think of this as setting the physiological foundation. No regulation, no flow.

We enter flow more easily when what we’re doing feels meaningful. Not necessarily “life purpose” meaningful, but meaningful enough that our system cares.

Ask yourself: Why does this matter right now?

What’s the outcome you genuinely care about?

Purpose creates intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation pulls you forward without force. 

That pull is one of flow’s strongest accelerators.

Flow thrives on clarity.

When goals are vague, attention fragments. When goals are precise, attention locks in.

Be specific about what “good” looks like for the next block of work. One task. One outcome. One definition of done.

Clarity removes cognitive load. Less mental noise means more bandwidth for creativity and performance.

This one’s non-negotiable.

Flow and distraction cannot coexist. Every notification, tab, and interruption resets the neurological process required to enter flow.

Create an environment that protects your attention. Silence notifications. Close unnecessary apps. Physically remove distractions if needed.

Flow follows focus

Remember, even the possibility of a distraction is a distraction! 

And let’s all get comfortable with the idea of being unavailable. 

Flow lives at the edge of your comfort zone. 4% outside it, according to the science! 

If a task is too easy, you get bored. Too hard, you get anxious. Flow sits in the narrow band where challenge slightly exceeds skill.

This stretch keeps the brain engaged, curious, and alert.

If you’re stuck, either raise the challenge or simplify the task until you find that balance point again.

Here’s the part most people misunderstand.

Flow state isn’t on/off. It’s a 4 stage cycle - called the Flow Cycle

And the first stage of the cycle almost always starts with struggle or resistance. 

Most people spend their entire careers stuck in the Struggle phase.

They don’t persist long enough to get into Flow.

They remain stuck, forever scratching the surface of their potential.

Mental resistance, discomfort, or doubt are not signs you’re failing. They’re signs you’re close.

Finally, there’s something you can do to accelerate the whole process.

Breathwork. 

Specific breathing techniques can rapidly shift brainwaves, regulate the nervous system, and prime the brain for flow. Used correctly, breath becomes a shortcut into the state many people wait hours to access.

This is why elite performers, athletes, and creatives increasingly train breathwork as a performance tool, not just a wellness practice.

Your breath is always available. When trained, it becomes one of the most reliable on-ramps to flow.

So with this new knowledge and understanding, flow can become something you can work with, rather than wait for.

Small shifts in how you regulate your state, focus your attention, and structure your work can mean massive changes. Not perfectly. Not every time. But often enough to matter.

I encourage you to start experimenting. Start persisting through the struggle phase of the cycle, that’s usually the biggest unlock for most people. 

Notice what helps you drop in faster. Build your own rhythm with it.

Because when flow shows up more regularly, work gets lighter, ideas move faster, and your best work starts to feel a lot more natural.

Where you can find Dave:

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When you’re ready, here’s three ways I can help you:

1. Tools & resources
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2. Comp consulting
I run FNDN, a global comp consultancy that builds compensation practices that are clear, fair and competitive for startups.

3. Startup People Summit
I run the Startup People Summit, a one day annual event focused on creating the playbook for startup people practices. Grab recordings from past events, or subscribe to the newsletter to join the next event.