Your perception of time radically changes when you're in Flow, and I'm sharing the world with my characters. I may not have the depth of emotion they feel in their situation, but I'm pretty damn close. And that is reflected in the quality of the work, which is always at a higher standard. It's a wonderful feeling that award-winning creatives and world-class athletes share a strategy that works. Can you recall the last time you were engaged in an activity, and you simply lost track of time? You're focused like a ninja, you're feeling amazing, and it seemed as if there's nothing else on this planet besides you and your task.

Years ago, I would let it come to me and consider it a bonus when it did. But what if I could produce Flow as and when I needed it.

That got me thinking.

A flow state is a very powerful state of mind where you are highly productive and feel great in the process. There is no need to force yourself to work hard. Instead, it seems to go automatically. It looks as if you are 'flowing' through your work.

Why wouldn't I want this superpower at my disposal? So I had to analyse what I did to produce the flow results.

There are many "flow triggers," but a few works for me.

• The first step is to establish a clear goal - For me, it's aiming to complete a sentence, a paragraph, a page or a chapter.
• Get Comfortable - As I said earlier, I'm usually moving through the world when I write my stories. The transportation network in London is brilliant, so I have no excuses. Wherever you are, be comfortable, hydrated and satiated.
• Be rested - You need to be alert. Being tired or falling asleep will not get you into Flow.
• Make time for the magic to happen - It's likely to take some minutes to get into Flow, and once you're there, you want to make the most of it without interruptions. Don't force it.
• Solitude or Noise-cancelling headphones - ideally, time alone in solitude would be fantastic, but we live in the real world. Distractions are the number one enemy of your focus, and we need to overcome that in a busy world. The smartphone, notifications, social media, news, email, and noise, can all impact us negatively. The first five require discipline, but you need to Invest in good noise-cancelling headphones for the noise issue. I use a Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. That's the third step.
• Challenge Yourself - You'll never hit Flow with mundane tasks. We must push the boundaries of what we're capable of. And the only way to do that is to move out of your comfort zone. Every chapter I write does that for me. What will do it for you?
• Be Inspired - Read, Listen or observe inspirational content. Especially if it's related to your passion, let it give you a boost. I have binaural music playing low through my headphones. Once I get into the rhythm, Flow comes easily.

Now we know Flow is an optimal state of consciousness, where we feel our best and perform our best. If doing the best work of your life is important to you, then Flow is an opportunity; I would encourage you to seek it out as often as you can and use it. There's nothing that will transform the quantity of your output and the quality of your work, like hitting Flow regularly.