It doesn’t have to be that low friction. Generally you can maximize the effectiveness of your short term memory while in flow state. Part of your brain is smashing away at the low friction parts, the rest is strategizing, prioritizing.
There were times before I accepted that “massive refactor” is an oxymoron where I would keep some very complicated task lists in my head and manage to recall nearly all of them. Day to day? I can’t remember your name twenty seconds after you’ve told it to me, unless I work at it.
Yeah, I thought "flow" required extremely low resistance in the task (i.e., someone sewing, playing an instrument, or playing a relatively simple game competently and with no interruption of confusion, frustration, or distraction).
I wish I could code like that. xD Constant typing to an ambient soundtrack. Instead, it's a minefield of "uh wait I have to Google this thing", "uh, what should happen here?", "oh no, an error with a complicated message I probably also have to Google".
And I can only carry on the rubber ducking to competently deal with those with a FULL MARSHALLING of my mental resources, which seems too strenuous for "flow" and is exhausting after a few hours.
But if you're sewing, you're just sewing.