The “Zone” is a metaphor for focusing majority, if not all, of your energies and attention to a productive task or endeavor. It’s almost a supernatural heightened senses experience which allows you to finish things well and fast. This applies to sports, relationships, and definitely to your professional life. One of the hardest things to do is trying to get back into the zone after coming from a long vacation or a sabbatical. Work is the farthest thing from your mind so when you get back to the office time seems to move ever so slowly. The danger here though is you tend to make lots of mistakes since your attention isn’t fully directed at the tasks at hand. Some mistakes can be more costly than the others. It’s literally a balancing act of putting down fires and finding inspiration. Here are some tips that I learned from books and from my personal experience on how to get jolted back into the zone
1. Read Literature (Blogs, Books, etc.)
This has proven to be my personal “In the Zone” catalyst. Reading any form of literature related to my industry gets me excited and psyched up for coming up and implementing digital marketing campaigns for my projects or clients. I make it a point to read at least 2-3 related blog entries daily and 1-2 books monthly. When I’m trying to get back into the zone, I try to nail down a really good book in a couple of days and pour hours reading blogs and other informative online resources.
2. Shut out Distractions
This is a very important tip. When trying to get back into the zone shut out all possible distractions. Don’t log on Facebook. Take the television out of your bedroom. Put your PS3 back in the box. Limit your browsing to e-mail and industry related resources only. You obviously can’t shut everything out but as much as possible try to stick only to your family (they’re not a distraction, they’re your priority) and your work.
When I was trying to get back into the zone after a long period a couple of months ago, I boxed my PS3 and eventually sold it. It worked wonders from me seeing as that PS3 is such a huge black hole that sucks all my time and attention.
3. Connect with Peers
Here’s another personal favorite of mine that works. Call up a friend or two in your industry and take the out to coffee or lunch. Discuss the latest trends in your industry and exchange ideas. Not only will this stir up your creativity but it will also put you on your toes because you’ll see other people who are in the zone while you aren’t. There’s a lot of inspiration to be found in competition, especially if you’re a man.
Note that the person you should be meeting must be in the zone. There’s no point in meeting someone who will just whine and complain about work. This will just drive you further away from your goal.
4. Get your house in order
One of the most important things you have to do once you get back to work is to get your priorities straight. If you manage a team call for a status meeting quickly so that you can be in the know ASAP. Also don’t forget to take out your favorite project management or to-do tool and list down all of your personal and team deliverables. After listing them down, mark the ones you can delegate, the ones that you have to do on your own that are urgent, and the ones that aren’t relevant or important anymore.
These are just some tips that I thought of based on what I’ve gone through in the last few years. I hope you guys found this article helpful. Cheers!
