The 3-Step Flow State Formula: How to Work 2x Faster

Read time: 4 minutes

The science-backed method to enter your peak brain state at will

How is it possible that some people accomplish in 90 minutes what takes others 8 hours?

It's not about working harder or being smarter. It's about working when your brain is primed for peak performance.

Most professionals waste 75% of their workday stuck in low-productivity modes.

This productivity gap costs you career advancement, personal time, and creates constant stress.

The top 1% of performers know a secret: they tap into a specific brain state that makes work feel effortless.

This state is called "flow." When you're in it, time vanishes. Focus deepens. Work becomes enjoyable.

The concept of flow was pioneered by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and further developed by researchers like Steven Kotler.

Their work has inspired what I'm about to share.

A McKinsey study showed people in flow are 500% more productive.

They learn 3x faster. They make better decisions.

What's revolutionary is that anyone can access this state. You don't need special talents or years of training.

You can (at least) double your output and finish a full day's work by noon—freeing time for what truly matters in life and business.

The good news? Your brain is already wired for flow. You just need to know how to activate it.

Here's the simple formula to make it happen.

Step 1: Remove the Flow Blockers

Flow blockers destroy your brain's natural focus system:

• Your phone (the #1 blocker)
• Email notifications
• Chat messages
• Task switching
• Background noise

These create what scientists call "attention deficit trait" - a constant state of distraction that makes deep work impossible.

The Fix: Flow Before Phone

Don't touch your phone for the first 2-3 hours of your day.

A client of mine runs a multi-million dollar business. Worked 60-hour weeks. Still couldn’t focus.

His screen time? 38 hours on TikTok and Netflix weekly.

He removed just these two triggers and instantly got back five workdays back in his week.

When you check your phone first thing, cortisol floods your system. Your brain shifts to reactive mode.

Flow becomes impossible. Your brain chemistry works against you before your day even starts.

Now let’s talk about how to make your brain work for you instead.

Step 2: Activate Your Personal Flow Triggers

The next step is to add specific flow triggers that push your brain into this optimal state.

Research has identified multiple flow triggers. Here are the most powerful ones:

• Clear Goals: Know exactly what you want to accomplish in your session.
• Immediate Feedback: Set up a way to track your progress in real-time. See the results as you work.
• The 4% Rule: Work on tasks about 4% harder than your current skill level. Too easy leads to boredom. Too hard causes anxiety. The sweet spot is just beyond your comfort zone.
• Risk: Add a small element of risk - set a public deadline or make a commitment to someone else.
• Deep Embodiment: Engage your physical senses. Use your hands. Move your body. Create a physical component to your mental work.
• Complexity: Tasks with multiple interconnected parts activate more of your brain's resources.
• Autonomy: Have full control over how you approach the task. Remove external constraints.

The more triggers you stack, the faster and deeper your flow state becomes.

But here's what most experts miss: even the perfect triggers won't work if your brain isn't ready to receive them.

Step 3: Upgrade Your Flow Proneness

Ever notice some days flow comes easy, other days it's nowhere to be found?

That's flow proneness - your brain's baseline readiness to slip into this peak state.

Most advice skips this entirely. They tell you what to do but ignore the condition of the brain doing it.

Flow proneness works like soil. Plant the same seeds in rich soil versus depleted dirt, you get completely different results.

Three elements determine your personal flow proneness:

1. Body Readiness: Your brain runs on blood, oxygen, and glucose. When you skimp on sleep, your prefrontal cortex loses fuel first. That's why a single bad night makes deep focus nearly impossible. Movement increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), literally rebuilding neural pathways.
2. Mental Runway: Ever try taking off from a 10-foot runway? Your mind needs space to accelerate into flow. Brain scans show meditation quiets the Default Mode Network - the part responsible for self-talk and rumination.
3. Space Design: Your environment programs your behaviour. Period. The most disciplined people don't fight temptation - they eliminate it from their space. Design for the brain you have, not the brain you wish you had.

The Fix: The 1/1/1 Flow Primer

Before diving into deep work, run this 3-minute sequence to prime your brain for peak focus:

• 1 Minute Body: Stand, stretch, or shake out tension—just enough to signal your body it’s time to engage.
• 1 Minute Mind: Take a deep breath and set a simple intention: What’s the one thing I need to accomplish right now?
• 1 Minute Space: Clear your desk, silence notifications, and remove visual clutter—your environment shapes your focus.

This isn’t just habit-building; it’s performance priming.

Why this works?

Research on elite tennis players showed that pre-performance routines improve consistency and execution—even micro-adjustments matter.

This 1/1/1 sequence removes mental friction, locks you into a flow-ready state, and helps you show up like a pro.

Try it before your next deep work session.

Put This Into Practice

1. Tonight: Put your phone in another room. Set out your most important task.
2. Tomorrow Morning: Start work before checking any messages. Apply the 1/1/1 rule before jumping into every deep work session.
3. Choose Your Triggers: Implement 2-3 flow triggers from the list above. Start with clear goals, the 4% rule, and immediate feedback.
4. Push Through: When you feel the urge to quit or check your phone, add just one more minute. Then one more. This is the struggle phase - it always comes before flow.
5. Recover Properly: After your flow session, take real time to recover. Go for a walk. Stretch. Your brain needs this to process what you learned.

The difference between high performers and everyone else isn't talent or time. It's their ability to access flow consistently.

Your brain already knows how to work this way.

You just need to give it the right conditions.

To making a difference,

Dr Yannick