taken from Mihaly Csikszentmihaly’s lecture on TED, entitled Creativity, Fullfilment and Flow

1. Completely involved in what we are doing – focused, concentrated.
2. A sense of ecstasy – of being outside everyday reality.
3. Great inner clarity – knowing what needs to be done, and how well we are doing
4. Knowing that the activity is doable – that our skills are adequate to the tasks
5. A sense of serenity – no worries of oneself, and a feeling of growing beyond the boundaries of the ego.
6. Timelessness – thoroughly focused on the present, hours seem to pass by in minutes.
7. Intrinsic motivation – whatever produces flow becomes its own reward.