Have you ever had a really great day at work when you felt 'in the zone'? You know, one of those days where you got all the important things done, felt great and wenthome with a real sense of achievement? Well guess what, it didn't just happen by accident, and the good news is you can have 'one of those days' as often as you want...
Simple, Consistent Action
Professional athletes often talk about being 'in the zone' when they perform at their absolute best. Thankfully this isn't a term reserved only for the Olympian's out there - it's actually a state you can get yourself into as often as you want, and the beauty is that it can generate some truly outstanding results when practiced regularly.
1. Increase Your Energy
Being in the zone requires optimal mental, emotional and physical energy - we all know we're capable of our best when we're feeling on top of the world! It's too easy to let work take over and neglect your health and well-being but the knock-on effect can ultimately impact how effective you are in your job, which ultimately defeats the object!
If you're tired, run-down, emotionally fatigued or mentally drained you will find it much more difficult to get into the zone, if you manage to get there at all! Schedule time to look after yourself, make a commitment to your health and happiness, and get enough sleep - these steps will help you feel great AND they'll increase your productivity and effectiveness at work. Win-win!
2. Design And Plan
Creating a smart plan for your day is a key component to a productive day, so it's important that you avoid the temptation to run out of the door at the end of the day before you've planned what's going to happen tomorrow! Do you think professional athletes wake up at 4am and wonder how to start their day? Of course not - they have a training schedule and clear plan of attack that keeps them focused and on track.
Time spent designing and creating a productive day the night before is worth every single second, but if you give this simple step the flick you may well find yourself ambling through the following day with a distinct lack of satisfaction at the end. Consider the key tasks you need to achieve to help you reach your goals, and the tasks which when done will lead to a high level of satisfaction, and then create a plan for your day that allows you to be as productive as possible.
3. Find Your Focus
It takes time to enter 'the zone' so it's really important to train your mind to focus on a single task without interruption or distraction. Schedule blocks of time in your diary where you are able to focus on the task at hand and avoid doing anything else at all costs (unless absolutely necessary!). This takes commitment and dedication, especially if you spend a lot of your time multi-tasking, but the rewards are well worth the effort involved as this behavior will help build new, empowering habits.
If you practice these three simple steps every day you will be well on your way to leading a more productive and ultimately rewarding life, but the important point to remember is that these things won't just happen on their own - you need to create them and make them part of your daily routine. Start today by actively choosing to incorporate these points into your schedule this week and commit to getting into the zone at least once every single day.
