Flow experience through work

In cultures where the life-style harmoniously balances human goals with the resources of the environment, work and enjoyment are not separate; but any work experience where the person plays with and transform opportunities in his surroundings is developed and enjoyable. Enjoyment depends on increasing complexity, upon focusing attention on opportunities for action in the environment, resulting in the perfection of skills so that in the end they appear completely spontaneous. Another way of developing flow experience through work is to change the work so that conditions are more conducive to flow. An example is the cottage industry where the worker sets his own schedules and goals, modifying them to his own needs and changing products so as to bring variety and challenge. The construction of work to the maximum pleasure possible does not guarantee flow; optimal experience depends on subjective evaluation of possibilities and individual capacity. The optimal experience comes from redesigning jobs to resemble flow activities and helping people to develop autotelic personalities so as to enjoy whatever job they are doing.