<p>In order to reach this state of peak performance, however, you not only need to work on challenges at the right degree of difficulty, but also measure your immediate progress. As psychologist Jonathan Haidt explains, one of the keys to reaching a flow state is that &ldquo;you get immediate feedback about how you are doing at each step.&rdquo;</p><p>Seeing yourself make progress&nbsp;<em>in the moment</em>&nbsp;is incredibly motivating. Steve Martin would tell a joke and immediately know if it worked based on the laughter of the crowd. Imagine how addicting it would be to create a roar of laughter. The rush of positive feedback Martin experienced from one great joke would probably be enough to overpower his fears and inspire him to work for weeks.</p><p>In other areas of life, measurement looks different but is just as critical for achieving a blend of motivation and happiness. In tennis, you get immediate feedback based on whether or not you win the point. Regardless of how it is measured, the human brain needs some way to&nbsp;<a href="https://jamesclear.com/paper-clips">visualize our progress</a>&nbsp;if we are to maintain motivation. We need to be able to see our wins.</p>