Most people know what “The Zone” is and have experienced moments in The Zone in their career, sports, money, etc. Typically these moments are infrequent and unpredictable at best, and most people have no idea how to get in The Zone whenever and wherever they choose.
The Zone feels like a quiet excitement with intensified focus. You feel a sense of confidence, total concentration, and an intense awareness. Your movements are easy, flowing and especially coordinated. You lose all sense of time as if another dimension has been added. You are completely focused on what you are doing and all other thoughts and feelings diminish.
When you “slip” out of The Zone, it feels like the opposite. Nothing flows. Movements are awkward. It is difficult to concentrate.
Here are some tips for getting and staying in The Zone:
- Whenever you engage with people, ask yourself if you are in The Zone or not? If you are, great! If not, ask yourself what one thing you could do that would move you into The Zone the fastest with the least amount of effort.
- You do not need to be in The Zone all the time, just when you are doing the most important things.
- Take time at the beginning of each day to postulate your day, and again at the end of the day to review and contemplate how your day went.
- If you focus on what is WRONG and what is not working, you will stay out of The Zone! If you focus on what is RIGHT and what IS working, you will get more of it and migrate towards The Zone and be able to stay there more often.
- On the other hand, if you ONLY focus on WHAT IS WORKING and do not consider WHAT IS NOT WORKING, you will become one of “those people” who only see the positive, and not face the counter to positive (what is working), which is negative (what is not working).
- If you find that you are worried and in a serious mood – this is not in The Zone! Make an effort to shift into a more playful, light and fun mood. Fun and laughter will have you moving up and into The Zone. Worry and seriousness are certain Zone killers.
- If your primary relationship is not working, and you have conflict and disagreements on a regular basis, it will be difficult to sustain long periods in The Zone. The maximum flow comes from harmony. Like music, disharmony is painful!
- Take time to choose and organize your environment. Chaotic, harsh and dramatic environments are certain Zone killers. Think about it… if you are sitting on an uncomfortable chair, with bright fluorescent lights with lots of loud noise – how difficult is it to get in The Zone?
- Whatever you are feeling on the inside can often lag behind your actual reality. So focus on what is working and make the changes necessary to bring your “inside” in alignment with your “outside.”
- Focus on your wins and celebrate your success. If you are part of a team, create a culture of acknowledgment and support.
Leadership Advocate and Co-Founder of the Goldzone Group. I help leaders to master the new rules of leadership for the new economy. Over the past 30 years, I have visited more than 500 cities in 54 countries to explore, learn from, and help many of the world’s leading companies, leaders, and luminaries in science, technology, health, finance, and entrepreneurship.
Frank Zelasny
I’d like to tell you I wrote and recorded a song called “STAYIN IN THE ZONE” you can enjoy it at my my space web site..at http://www.myspace.com/joggynsmyler EnjoY! it’s the first song in the player there.
I typed in Google search the words “Stayin in the Zone” and found your place.
sincerely
Frankz
Scott Bandura
Excellent post thank you for the info
Gerard Mccolley
Excellent post thank you for the info
Michael Pokocky
Fantastic description and action plan for the zone.
I saw the movie with Kevin Costner about being in the zone.
Can’t remember the name right now, but he sure demonstrated what it feels like to be in the zone.
The only thing I do to stay in the zone is to be aware of the difference between the inner me and the chaotic world around me.
When I do this (even in a crowded coffee shoe) I am in the zone. I here nothing, nor look up from my journal, where I am in the page.
Kindest,
ps. thank you for visiting my site and commenting Andrew!
Gillian
This post directly influenced me the following day. I’d never thought of it as a ‘Zone’ before – those brief moments or hours or days even of complete ‘rightness’.
So yesterday I was gardening and shifted my focus to link in with those other times and voila there I was – yes only for an instant, but from that instant I know that its possible to consciously shift into ‘The Zone’ rather than it seeming to occur as a happy accident.
I do remember though, that times I have entered the ‘Zone’ and stayed there for a day or two have been times when I have been fired up about a creative process and have felt an enormous sense of expansion and excitement about life.
Very useful also to think about what isn’t working as well as what is.
Altogether a great post, thankyou.
Christopher Neale
Fantastic post….. very clear, I can see how many things, times and actions I would take that would not have me in the zone.
Also thinking of how many people are concerned, worried etc now with economic uncertainty would impact being in the zone.
Great post, thank you very timely…..