Invent challenges. A hundred years ago, pioneer psychologist William James declared that h

umans use only a【C1】______part of their potential. All too many of our tasks are【C2】______or tedious. Then the brain operates almost on【C3】______The result can be careless mistakes or dragged-out drudgery because we can get with it.

The perfect state of flow, Csikszentmihalyi explains,【C4】______when our skills exactly measure up to the challenges confronting us.【C5】______, says Csikszentmihalyi, the way to get a dull but simple job done easily is to make it harder. Turn a boring task into a challenging game, so that you【C6】______all your potential. Invent rules,【C7】______goals,【C8】______yourself against a clock. This increased challenge may be what pushes you into your【C9】______.

I was once asked to write an introduction to a【C10】______of articles on lawsuit. Words came slowly as I【C11】______away at a topic that didn't inspire me. I made【C12】______trips to the coffeepot. Then the magazine's art director phoned to say he'd created an eye-catching【C13】______for the article, drawing a gavel(槌)bent into the letter J. Could the first word of the article begin with J？

I not only accept the challenge, but added one of my own: Could every paragraph begin with J？ Using such words as Justice and Jurisprudence(法学), I managed nine paragraphs. By【C14】______my attention, the contest sped up the task.

Talk to yourself. As you【C15】______that drip irrigation system in your rose bed, tell yourself, "The line to the hose bib goes here. About six feet, then the first emitter(喷嘴)..." Verbalizing keeps your mind on the task,【C16】______the steps you're taking, and reminds you of what needs to be done.

Self talk can also serve as "white noise," taking your mind off【C17】______stimuli. A young ski racer,【C18】______by spectators and blowing snow, was having a disappointing competition when his coach pulled him【C19】______. "Look ahead," the coach said, reminding the skier to【C20】______on the gates ahead as he skied the ones before. Repeating the phrase like a spell(咒语): "Look ahead, look ahead, look ahead"—the skier focused his attention and won a medal.

【C1】

A．tiny

B．secondary

C．minimal

D．minimum