the zone

**LucidFlanders** · 12-11-2008 10:17 AM

Ok so Tuesday i was at work and all day i was in this type of "zone", and it seemed like nomatter what happened nothing could phaze me, even the cold could not phaze me (i work in a cooler 6-7 hrs 5 days a week), in this phaze it was hard to think at all, nothing seemed to pop into my head, i was completly blank.
With this i was able to work at a faster pace, and i made everything perfect, and i was really thurroh(sp), it was as if the moment i was in was ment to be, and all i was doing was all there was. Like when you play a FPS game like UT series, cod4, or whatever you are in the zone, everything you shoot at dies, you never miss, etc.

Is there a way to do this on a consistent basis? i'm usually pooped because i wear steel toed boots all day, and i work in a cold cooler with short sleeves on and i'm always walking, but i did not get tired but infact i took my break my last half hour of the shift just because i knew (k well no not thinking is completly not thinking but i thought for a moment) if i took my break early this zone would leave and i would feel exhausted, my feet were not tired, i was wide awake, i was like a zombie in how there was little to no thought process. I would love to know how i can feel like this all the time when i am working, it makes working so much easier.

**panta-rei** · 12-12-2008 01:51 AM

Well... What first came to mind was the male equivalent to Premenstrual cycle. Men work on cycles too... All of the things that are us move in a pattern (Strength, energy, happiness, etc.) When all these things are at a low point all at once, we feel really shitty, fail tests/assignments, and snap at people for no reason... But! When all are at their peak at the same time... We do great at everything we try, and cannot be stopped! (Like how you described...)

I don't think there is a way to alter your personal cycles... But you can look into it.

This isn't the for sure answer, just what came to mind to me...

**Kushna Mufeed** · 12-12-2008 03:42 AM

The thing about being in the zone is this:
You don't get into the zone; the zone gets into you.

**LucidFlanders** · 12-12-2008 04:58 AM

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Well... What first came to mind was the male equivalent to Premenstrual cycle. Men work on cycles too... All of the things that are us move in a pattern (Strength, energy, happiness, etc.) When all these things are at a low point all at once, we feel really shitty, fail tests/assignments, and snap at people for no reason... But! When all are at their peak at the same time... We do great at everything we try, and cannot be stopped! (Like how you described...)

I don't think there is a way to alter your personal cycles... But you can look into it.

This isn't the for sure answer, just what came to mind to me...

I'd love to feel like that all the time.

**panta-rei** · 12-12-2008 05:04 AM

Who wouldn't? I just got out of the all down state... I'm hopping the all up state will come soon!

You can graph and track these cycles a few ways. My teacher told him about a few guys in his dorm, they would take tests everyday, lift weights everyday, and do other things like sprint everyday, and graph how much they could do or how well they did it. (How much they could lift, how well they scored, how quickly they ran.) They graphed these out on many different graphs (since they had many many catagories), and laid them all on top of eachother... They then could estiamte the next time they would be in "the zone" and would take exams on those days!

They would avoid tests and things like that on the days they would be low... Smart guys...

**LucidFlanders** · 12-16-2008 08:37 AM

So i was in the zone today at work. It's cold outside (snow and with the arctic wind it feels like -18, according to the forcast and being outside)and i work in a cooler and it was cold in there, colder then usual. The cold was my fuel, and it became stronger and stronger. People were like "holy crap you are working so fast". I literally had no thoughts in my head, hell even when i tried to think my mind was blank. The weird thing is, when your mind is a blank, it feels weird...i guess kinda like something eating away at your thoughts and you could not do anything about it. A guy who's always making slacker jokes was saying "you're doing awesome" all day to me lol.

My insides felt all frozen, but it fueled me to go faster, and faster so i went faster and faster. What would normally take me 4 hrs to do took me 90 minutes to do.

I did it without mistakes because i looked over it when i was not in the zone and it was all perfect.

I wish i could always be in the zone when i work, it makes work so much more fun when you are just motoring along. I LOVE ENDORPHINS!!!!

Also, when i am in the mood and do 1 thing at a time, my mood sometimes changes and i become obsessed with what i am doing, or so it feels like it and i own whatever i am doing. Like when people who are clean freaks see a spot of dirt and clean it and get obsessed and go full throttle, i'm like that at my work. When you are into it, it's just so god damn easy, and fun to do you lose yourself in it although normally i am not the fastest as i work in a cooler, where it is cold, but i am not slow either.

**Serkat** · 12-16-2008 11:01 AM

It's called "flow" and has been thoroughly written on by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. You should read his book "Flow".

**Ilumirath** · 12-16-2008 03:53 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology) this?

**Serkat** · 12-17-2008 10:59 AM

Ya

**DuB** · 12-17-2008 07:39 PM

Here's a cool talk by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on flow and, more generally, what makes people happy:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/m...i_on_flow.html

**RooJ** · 12-19-2008 01:43 AM

I've heard that you can anchor the state via NLP techniques, not sure how true it is as i've never tried.

I usually get into flow/the zone while programming or reverse engineering, it sometimes feels as though my minds merging with the problem im working on, im so focussed on what im doing that its almost like i dont have to consciously process it, like ive hit some deeper understanding or connection with whatever it is im doing and nothing else exists. Works just the same when its something more physical like football, my game always improves and it feels almost effortless.

Its an awesome subject thats interested me for a while, ill have to go watch the video

- Thanks DuB

**LucidFlanders** · 12-19-2008 04:11 AM

Originally Posted by RooJ

I've heard that you can anchor the state via NLP techniques, not sure how true it is as i've never tried.

I usually get into flow/the zone while programming or reverse engineering, it sometimes feels as though my minds merging with the problem im working on, im so focussed on what im doing that its almost like i dont have to consciously process it, like ive hit some deeper understanding or connection with whatever it is im doing and nothing else exists. Works just the same when its something more physical like football, my game always improves and it feels almost effortless.

Its an awesome subject thats interested me for a while, ill have to go watch the video

- Thanks DuB

Yeah for sure, nothing can even bother you aswell. You are one with what you are doing, like you said. It's the best thing ever!

It's not really the same for video games, i been in the zone playing FPS where i transform into a god and nobody could ever...EVER kill me, but it never feels like i am part, or merged with it. That only happens when i work.My hands are average to slow speed, when i am zoned in my movements make peoples jaws drop.

I am not sure if this is "flow" but sometimes when i really understand a talk, or what someone is saying i stop thinking, and just type. I never think what i am going to say, i just type what i am saying. I don't have to think because i KNOW exactly what it is. Kinda hard to explain..the letters just flow out.