Interesting post on productivity and "getting in the flow".
1. Clear goals.
To enter the flow state, you need to define a short-term goal. If you’re working on a large multi-session project like a web app, decide your purpose for this single creative session. Be careful not to overqualify your purpose; your purpose should be “an arrow, not a container”. (- Steve Pavlina)
2. A high degree of concentration on a limited field of attention.
3. A loss of self-consciousness, the merging of action and awareness.
4. Distorted sense of time.
5. Direct and immediate feedback; behaviour can be adjusted as needed.
6. Balance between ability level and challenge.
7. A sense of personal control over the situation or activity.
8. Intrinsically rewarding action, so there is an effortlessness of action.
9. Focus of awareness is narrowed down to the activity itself.