Entering "The Zone"

Hey everyone!

It’s that time of the week again! I'm wishing you all a happy Monday and a wonderful week. So, I’m going to ask a bit of a different question to start off the post. How do you like your eggs? I had some for breakfast this morning and started thinking about all the different ways that we can make them. Scrambled was always my go to for most of my life. If I went out to breakfast and the waitress started listing off how I could get my eggs I would always answer scrambled as if it were the only sensible option. Later in life, my experience with eggs would expand. Surprisingly it would be deviled eggs that I would try next and let me tell you, it was love at first bite. I can probably devour an entire plate of deviled eggs by myself. It wouldn’t be until August of last year that I first tried over-easy style eggs and even more recently over-hard eggs which are my new go to for eggs. Currently, I'm on the lookout for pickled eggs to have a beer with but I've yet to find anywhere that has them. It’s incredible how much you can do with food isn’t it? Now, I’d say it’s pretty much impossible to try every different style of food but that’s why it’s important to give what you do have the opportunity to try a chance. Are there any meals that you think are underrated and more people should give it a try? Leave a suggestion in a comment. Now, let’s get into the topic for today!

How many of you have heard of “the zone?” Getting into the zone, being in the zone, etc. Apparently, it’s also been referred to as flow or a flow state, but I’ve only just heard that recently come up in conversation. It really is an incredible experience when it happens. Experiencing peak performance and focus feels great and it makes me far more productive than I am normally. I wish I could experience it more often, or even better learn how to get myself into the zone. As of right now it’s a rare occurrence but a welcome one and I’m not able to control when or how it happens. I remember a few times when it has happened, once when I was swamped in homework, and had only the evening to get it done, which was entirely my fault for procrastinating however I was able to get into the zone and crush it. There was another occasion where I was working on my book, and I must have written nearly a dozen pages in one sitting. I had such a headache after that, but it was worth it, and I felt great about doing it. The most recent instance of me getting into the zone was at work. Now I’m not crazy about my job so it wasn’t passion that got me into the zone, I really don’t know what it could have been. I was little irritated that of all places and situations that it could have happened it was at work. But I understand the value of being in the zone and I wasn’t going to let it go to waste. I ended up finishing my work an hour and a half early and was able to get even more done. Have any of you found yourselves in the zone when you least expected it? Feel free to share your experiences in a comment!

What is it about the zone/flow state that lets us go above and beyond what we are normally able to do? The focus aspect would certainly help. Being completely enveloped with what you’re doing and not letting anything distract you is powerful. But I don’t think that’s the only aspect of the zone. There’s the presence of determination that also plays a part. It’s not a question of doing whatever it is that you’re doing it’s just going to be done, no questions asked. Going hand in hand with determination is the want. The desire to do it, to accomplish the goal you’ve set your mind to.

I think the most common stories about the zone are from athletes. Not that it’s a bad thing, I just thing it’s amazing how often it seems to happen to them. As I’ve said I don’t know how to get into the zone, it just happens. There might be a physical aspect to it, or maybe physical engagement makes it easier when it comes to getting into the zone. Personally, I’ve found that music can be a big help but even then, I find that it’s still up to chance. I did notice that I was in a great mood the last time I got into the zone. There wasn’t a specific thought or idea that I had in mind I was just thinking positively and about what I’m grateful for. The zone is a frame of mind so thinking positively probably helped.

It would be incredible if more people could get into the zone more often. Imagine how much more we could accomplish if we could do it every day. I would say we’d even feel a lot better because of that sense of accomplishment. Maybe it’s just me but I find it interesting how achieving our goals has such a profound effect on our psyche. I’m not exactly versed in psychology so I can only guess based on personal experience and the experiences of others. I would say that it stems from the emotional investment we put into our goals. Then of course witnessing the time and effort we invest paying off only pushes the feeling further. If anyone has any thoughts about this feel free to share them in a comment.

Well, I think it’s time to bring this one to a close. We’ve gone from eggs to the zone and achieving our goals in one post. Pretty good if you ask me but please, let me know what you opinion is on that. What do you do to get yourself into the zone? Feel free to share it, you might just help me or other readers. As always thank you for reading and have a great one!

Best regards,

Aaron Kirby