John Henry

One of my colleagues was talking about being "In The Zone" yesterday. He followed this by working until eight in the morning completely revolutionising our in-house software while I went on to flake out at 7pm. But that's beside the point.

Where does it come from? It can happen at work at college, in sport, in the bedroom, in a debate or in music, but it always has the same effect, it makes you unstoppable and infallible and it always seems to feel the same, powerful and somehow transcendent, like flying in a dream.

There's presumably some biochemical factor involved: Given that it seems to turn up more under pressure, I'd hazard it's something to do with adrenaline and possibly testosterone.

When have you been there? How did you get there? And do you happen to know the shortcut?

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"No one was behaving from very Buddhist motives. Then, thought Pigsy, he was hardly a Buddha, nor was he a monkey. Presently, he was a pig spirit changed into a little girl pretending to be a little boy to be offered to a water monster. It was all very simple to a pig spirit."

Blackthorn

As a league bowler who used to roll the rock three to four nights a week I can relate to being in the zone. There were some night's where I'd shoot 740 for three games and standing on the approach I just knew I was going to rip the rack apart.

Baseball players - hitters in particular, golfers, and other atheletes report the same thing. I've never felt this way about work but I do think I have some days that are better and more productive than others.

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Averett

Auto Zone?

Sorry....

The only zone I'm in right now is the "I don't want to do jack shit" zone.

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Blackthorn

HYSTERICAL!!! Nice Averett....I'm "working from home" today so I share your sentiment exactly. I'm listening to a conference call where some people who feel they are much more important than they really are just love to hear their own voice..."I wanna hear my voice I wanna hear my voice I wanna hear my voice"...blah blah blah.

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John Henry

You've just reminded me of a time when I was playing a completely luck based card game with a friend of mine. We had a shuffled deck and took turns at calling a card then picking one off the top. You got something like four for the right suit, thirteen for the right number and fifty two for both.

I was losing quite badly and getting pissed off, then I suddenly got the feeling of being in the zone and I somehow knew the next card was the ace of spades. I called it, was right and he was buying my drinks for the rest of the evening.

I try to be skeptical, but things like that make me wonder if it's more than something biological.

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"No one was behaving from very Buddhist motives. Then, thought Pigsy, he was hardly a Buddha, nor was he a monkey. Presently, he was a pig spirit changed into a little girl pretending to be a little boy to be offered to a water monster. It was all very simple to a pig spirit."

quadro2000

Being "in the zone" always sneaks up on me. I don't think it's something I can plan or control. I've tried. Being an actor in plays, I am always trying to be in the zone during a performance. Either it happens or it doesn't, and it doesn't seem like extra preparation helps me any. That being said, I don't think you can really get into "the zone," without preparing yourself for the possibility. In other words, your colleague was able to get into the zone because he knew what he was doing with the computers. If you're not prepared with all the logistics behind a situation, you have no chance of getting into the zone.

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Nefir

What you are experiencing is called being "in flow". It is a state of feeling in fully control of your actions, and causes peak productivity.

Check out this link to learn more about flow: http://www.debateit.net/improvethought/flow1.htm

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tropple

that's the kind of day when every round is a hard kill.

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MSD

I meditate, focusing my consciousness on the task at hand, and tell myself that nothing other than complete success is acceptable. Then I get to work. Caffiene helps.

I've also gotten the same effect after OD'ing on Ritalin.

absorbentishe

I was "in the zone" during a softball game once. 6-6, an inside the park home run, stand up triple, 2 stand up doubles, batted in 8. It was the game of my life, don't know how it happened, just did and it was great.

Now during golf, if I put it on "automatic", I seem to be able to hit the ball better, and putt better. I just don't think about the game during this, I just let it happen and I do pretty well. Once I start thinking, that throws it out of sync.

Suave

The studies I've seen on it show that the majority of the brain is "quiet", when someone is in the zone, and their entire cognitive focus is in one area of the brain, whichever is designated for that specific activity. The zone is awesome.

Rodney

I remember once, long ago, getting a job that would allow me to live and work in San Francisco. I was high about it for two weeks. During that time, I could get a parking space directly in front of whatever store or place of business I was going to: not two rows back, not around the corner, but directly in front of the main door at high noon on Saturday. Even if the lot was packed: all I had to do was pull up in front, and somebody would by coincidence choose that very moment to pull out of their space. Got so that I would bet my passengers that it would happen, and it still would.

My euphoria died down after a couple of weeks, and my miraculous ability went away. Maybe I was warping space and time. Go figure.

isis

I get oddly in the zone when I forgo sleeping for a night. I have a tendency to clean everything I have in about a 6 hour period. How many times do I clean when I'm not in this trance-like zone state? Like, maybe once every 2 weeks.

I guess it works wonders for my productivity.. and the cleanliness of my bathroom.

KinkyKiwi

hmm..i'm with averett..except when i do yoga..then i'm totally in the "zone"

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World's King

I get like that every once in a while at work. But in my buisness we call it "in the weeds." Bartending rocks.

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portereight

I have had days when I get so involved in my work that I lose track of time. I find myself coming out of it with my head in a fog like I had just woken up.

Blackthorn

Gawd you people are cracking me up today...

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thinktank

pressure is the key for me. (ack, pardon my accidental rhyme). I dont know why, but when things look grim, and the fear sets in, i get into that proverbial "zone" where i can do no wrong.

Shirtninja

This is why I love stress, I get into this groove or zone and its all perfect. The more stress, the better.

Stiltzkin

I've experienced the "zone" when working on an intense math problem or programming. I used to get it from playing guitar too, but that has faded as I've picked up the guitar less and less.

Oh wait, I wrote a 6-page essay in less than two hours because my original one went to hell (damn them floppy disks). Luckily I had all my sources on hand annotated and all, so it wasn't too hard. I guess general stressful situations get me into the zone.

Also, a few days ago when a friend and I replaced the brake pads on my car. I'd never done anything that mechanically automotively involved without supervision before. It was raining and I was getting sick of the grinding noise my brakes were making, so in the spur of the moment I called up my friend and asked him if I could use his garage for this purpose. Since he's cool, he said sure. Plus it was cold out, so we fought the elements while getting our clothes and hands dirty. It was totally awesome. Got into a semi-"zone".

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guthmund

I very rarely hit the 'zone' these days.

This is going to sound stupid, but when I was a fry-side cook in a fast food joint it was easy to get in the groove. During the lunch rush it's easy to lose yourself in what your doing and focus your....focus? on the task at hand and do what you do.

It's much harder to do that today. I don't know why it is, but I miss it.

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raeanna74

Exactly the same for me. When I'm under pressure, extreme pressure, I feel as if I'm ready to explode with alertness and productivity. I've had it a few times.
When Hubby had his serious accident I was in the zone for 3 days and I hardly slept. Then the fatigue hit me.
When we were rewiring the network for my college I worked from 3pm until 5am one time. We were all in the ZONE but I know if I'd gone to bed I'd have laid there thinking in Hexidecimal.
One time while running a longer race. I got to a point where I hit a wall. I couldn't go farther or faster no matter how hard I made my body work. Then almost like pulling a foot out of mud the wall let loose and I got a huge burst of speed. That speed carried me all the way through to the finish line. I only did come in second but breaking through that wall and getting into what I envision the zone being was an eye opener for me. I COULD make my body do something that it told me I couldn't do. Liberating.

There are other times when I just get going on something and can't seem to quit. My mother (a former special education teacher) says that it's called "Perseverance Syndrome". When I get to that point.

Most of the time it has to do with an adrenaline rush I get. I can actually tell when I get one because my body doesn't work it quite right and I always get a drop in blood pressure moments later - resulting in dizziness.

At one time in my life though I found I could do predictions (I don't think this would be chemical) and no matter who picked the card out of the hand they were holding I could tell them which card it was they'd chosen. I actually managed to do this with about 90% accuracy for 6 months. Then I got freaked out and wouldn't do it anymore. I'm not sure if I can now but I'm a little afraid to try.

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thingstodo

I'm just OK at basketball. I play for fun and exercise.

One day we put up a goal at work. While out shooting around, I actually hit 39 3-point shots in a row, from all around the arc. There were at least five other poeple there so it was great!! They were even tossing the ball back and counting after a few shots. I stopped before I missed. It was an awesome experience. And for the first time ever I was picked first for a team!!

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PgUpPgDown

I get this "in the zone" feeling you're talking about approx. once every week.

I usually go through a week like so:

1. Brood about being lonely
2. Brood about doing nothing else but studying and computer'ing
3. Procrastinate throughout 1 & 2, leaving deadlines for the end
4. Realize that yet another week has become hectic enough, if only due to my procrastinating and NOT due to the workload
5. Start doing some studying, start cathing up deadlines for exercises/projects/presentations/essays
6. Sequentially finish (not always :-)) the tasks at hand, hand in pending stuff
7. Feel really good about getting the job done
8. Start studying/working on favorite subject/project
9. Get in the zone for 1-2 days, where being lonely just becomes an advantage, rather than something to gripe about
10. Complete workload successfully, weekend is here
11. Do almost nothing, waste time, procrastinate instead of planning
12. GOTO 1.

But I tell you, there are times when I get back home after a loooong day at the uni at 23:00 and I just feel invincible. I'm walking on the road and feel like everyone makes way for me to pass, as if I'm flowing through the people going the other direction... I feel I'm so cool, I could hit on ANY girl right there and succeed. I catch the bus on time, I am super-efficient and have ultra-high self-esteem (NOT usually the case). I find listening to music makes the "in the zone" feeling stronger. Then, when I come back home, I'm just full, like there's nothing more to do today that would make me feel better about myself. As if problems have just ceased to exist or start existing

It's an interesting question though; is it possible to induce this mindset at will? Hmmm... (and plz don't mention drugs, I don't do drugs) What about caffeine? Doing something wild (but not overtly stupid)?

Now, if I could start abstaining from procrastination, everything would be perfect....

flamingdog

Caffeine is a drug. And I've experienced it on ecstasy and magic mushrooms. Especially mushrooms, in low doses. I felt the same sense of enlightened control and enigmatic euphoria when I was on them, was such a trip. My typing was flawless, my mind was racing, but totally under my control.

Inducing it at will... the only way I could think to do that is to just put yourself in the shittiest position possible then will yourself out of it. If anything will bring 'the zone' on, then that will.

I remember one time about 18 months ago, I left all my work for that week's paper completely until the very last minute. Like, I didn't even start on it till deadline day. In one day, I produced five page lead articles, including a full page feature, which by itself necessitated photography, at least four separate interviews and writing time... that was on top of the other four pieces.

I worked on all five simultaneously, switching between as the info I needed came in. Was fucking brilliant.

That day, every phone call I placed was picked up straight away. I got great quotes. My shorthand was blazing. I was purely, simply, a machine tasked with producing those articles. Nothing else was important. I didn't eat, or break, save for making one cup of tea in the afternoon.

I was exhausted by the end of it, and I never did it to myself again. I get it with other things too, illustrating, writing, sometimes (rarely) gaming. You lose all sense of the world around you, except for what you're doing, and you can't help but do it right.

The times I've played drums in front of a crowd, I had it then too. Totally focused, totally in control of my movements, can feel the rhythm pumping through me, I know exactly where my sticks are going next, what's coming up in the song, dynamic phrases, pauses, places I need to fill, and even when I dropped a stick, nobody even noticed, my flow was so good.