{"id":38053,"date":"2021-06-14T15:00:45","date_gmt":"2021-06-14T19:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=38053"},"modified":"2021-06-14T10:14:16","modified_gmt":"2021-06-14T14:14:16","slug":"autotelic-personality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autotelic-personality\/","title":{"rendered":"Autotelic Personality: Traits and Characteristics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How do you know if you have an autotelic personality? What does personality have to do with entering a flow state<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re naturally inclined toward finding flow<\/a> in everyday experiences, you have an autotelic personality. If you’re an autotetic, you likely habitually do these four things 1) observe the environment around you, 2) set goals, 3) concentrate deeply on what you’re doing, and 4) enjoy a wide variety of experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn what personality has to do with flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Autotelic Personality and Flow<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In addition to culture and the activities at your disposal, your ability to experience flow<\/a> may depend on the experiences you had growing up and the habits you\u2019ve acquired. Some people seem able to take advantage of all kinds of opportunities, while others are unmoved. If you\u2019re naturally inclined toward finding flow in everyday experiences, you have an autotelic personality.<\/strong> But even if you don\u2019t have an autotelic personality, research suggests that most people are able to increase their ability to find flow with practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 4 Characteristics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to Mihaly Csikszentmihali, people who have an autotelic personality tend to exhibit the following four characteristics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Observe the environment<\/strong> and decide what opportunities you have to act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Set goals.<\/strong> Setting goals can occur in one of two ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n