Getting in the Zone:
7 Proven Strategies

Today I am writing this article in a car dealership.

There is a large and obscenely loud television playing a sports talk show and I am wearing oversized headphones to block out the audible distractions. Focusing in this environment, or getting into my zone, is proving to be a bit challenging.

Photo Credit: JD Hancoc

Getting in the zone is a fine art, a dance, no doubt.

There is a fine line between being driven by a deadline and panicking with a lack of time; between focusing on a key idea and getting distracted by your own creativity; between working alone in total solitude and being out in public at the whim of endless noise.

Getting in the Zone

On a return flight from a quick vacation during my sabbatical I was reading a great article from SUCCESS Magazine called “Light in the Darkness.”

The author, Patty Onderko, shared that “the optimal emotional state for productivity lies between anxiety and relaxation, combined with working at a high challenge level for your current skill set.”

Taking on new challenges seems obvious. If you want to grow and stay productive you should push yourself and find joy in the uphill battle.

What piqued my interest was the first thought, the optimal productive state of the dance between anxiety and relaxation.

According to Patty, getting in the zone is about discovering how you can stay on the edge of your seat, totally engaged, but doing so in a relaxed (or non-stressed out) manner.

7 Proven Strategies

For me, getting in the zone involves a very specific set of rituals and there is a unique and easily identifiable feeling that takes over when I begin this process.

I know when I’m entering the zone and I know when I leave it.

But, if all goes as planned, I have no idea what’s happening when I’m right in the middle of the storm. It’s a magical place of intense focus and execution, almost like an out-of-body experience where I can experience superhuman levels of achievement.

Here are a few strategies that work for me nearly every time:

1. A little bit of caffeine. I have always had an affinity with coffee and the high of a mild stimulant. When it comes to focus and getting in the zone, this is more of fine art than anything. A small quantity goes a long way and too much is a disaster for staying lasered in on one task.
2. A little bit of hunger. As weird as this may sound, I find myself dipping into the zone more when I’m hungry than when I’m full or satisfied. My brain functions at a higher level when my blood is available to engage my neurons, as opposed to digesting a heavy meal. Try this trick for yourself, especially before breakfast.
3. Just the right music. I used to thrive on techno, especially during all-nighters in college. In the last few years I have discovered neuroscience-based music tracks through Brain.fm. This music centers my thoughts better than anything else.
4. Total solitude. You may prefer to work in a team, but I have learned over the years that for me to tap into my greatest genius I can’t be anywhere but alone. I thrive when I have the luxury to be my authentic self, focused only on the task and not thinking about other’s perceptions of me or my ideas. The one exception to this I have noticed is being on stage. There is a powerful force at work when you’re connecting with an audience, live and face-to-face.
5. A task that excites me. It’s nearly impossible to get in the zone while working on something that doesn’t tap into my passions. When I’m fully engaged in my work it is only happening because I care about the outcome and the process as well. When all of these elements converge at once, it’s nearly a guarantee that I will be entering the zone.
6. Activating my creativity or disengaging completely. There are two scenarios that pop into my mind when I imagine myself getting in the zone. First, doing what I’m doing right now, writing. Tapping into my creativity is one of my best strategies to get centered and produce high quality work. The other scenario is what I do nearly every day, running. When I find myself out on the trail alone, focused on nothing more than one foot in front of the other, I can disappear. I can detach myself from my reality, even if the run is hard, and focus on nothing more than the present moment.
7. Repetition. Writing and running share the common trait of doing the same thing over and over again. There is something special about repeating a physical motion, whether it’s typing keystrokes or lengthening your stride. Finding a repetitive task that you enjoy is a likely candidate for finding your zone.

Where Do You Find Your Zone?

I have a fairly unique and specific set of criteria for getting in the zone, so I would love to know what works for you.

When do you find yourself dancing between anxiety and relaxation? What causes you to focus intensely? When do you realize that time has disappeared and you have accomplished more than you thought possible?

Feel free to share your thoughts below or on my facebook page.

Next Week

Next week on the blog I will be sharing update on the progress of my new book and showing you how to get your name and success story included in the final publication.