[2022-08-11] How to get into the zone of effortless action

Sometimes when I write, I'm in the zone, and by that I mean I lose myself in the activity. The process of writing feels effortless. Other times, I struggle to achieve flow, another way of describing that magical feeling of effortless action.

Ten years ago, I described a perfect moment of flow I achieved while writing a blog post. The circumstances were ideal. I was sitting in my car in a quiet parking lot at Carleton University, waiting for my daughter, Melanie. It was sunny and warm. Faithful Freddie was dozing in the back of the car, as we had just completed a walk at Bruce Pit. A fresh spring breeze was coming in through the car’s open windows. The most beautiful and uplifting classical music was playing on the car stereo. I was leisurely reading the news on my phone, and came across an article that inspired me to craft a blog post. That post was easy to write, and I was pleased with the finished product right from the first draft. I was in the zone.

A few weeks after this experience, I came across an article that helped me to understand the magic combination of factors at work on that spring day. Writing in the Harvard Business Review blog, James Allworth explains in How to Get into Your Zone what it means to achieve flow: "It's when we do our best work, achieve our peak performance."

Whether for physical or intellectual pursuits, we all want to get in the zone—that place where something that's challenging (like running or writing) feels easy. The question Allworth tries to answer in his post is this: how does one reliably and consistently get into the zone? He grounds his advice in three rules about the zone:
  1. There's no zone for new activities.
  2. Getting into the zone requires your subconscious.
  3. The zone is emotional.

Allworth explains why it's impossible to achieve flow when you're just learning:

The first time you sit down to do something, you're not going to find flow; nor the second, or the tenth, and probably not even the hundredth. Why? Getting in the zone requires activating the subconscious part of the brain. The very nature of it requires you not to be trying, not consciously thinking about what it is you're doing—instead, you're just doing it.

I experience this phenomenon when I cook. The first time I make a dish, I find myself reading and rereading the recipe numerous times to ensure I don't screw it up. I struggle to get the timing right. I use way more dishes and make a bigger mess than I would if I had been making the recipe for years. But give me something that I can make from memory, and I'll whip it up effortlessly, and I'll enjoy the process more.

In his second rule—the zone requires your subconscious—Allworth explains that:

Flow only works when the subconscious takes over from the conscious mind. Being practiced at what you do is necessary, but it's not sufficient. This is where other techniques start to kick in: meditation is a well-known way of doing exactly this; visualization is, too.

Allworth shares the example of a friend who is a very good swimmer and who loves driving cars. He says the friend doesn't think about swimming during a competition in the pool; instead he imagines himself "driving" his body through the race.

Similarly, Allworth uses the example of public speaking to illustrate his point that the zone is emotional:

One field in which finding flow can be absolutely essential to success is presenting—and good presenters who love their job will talk about their ability to drop in on the zone as one of the best parts about their jobs. Being passionate about the topic, and a deep, almost-religious conviction in what they are talking about seem to be the common ingredients of those who find flow while presenting.

Sometimes when I deliver a speech, I'm in the zone and it's exhilarating. Other times, I feel out of sorts, and it shows in my delivery. I have found that I'm most comfortable speaking on a subject I'm passionate about. Allworth talks about watching an amateur presenter. At first, they're self-conscious, worried about what people are thinking. But as they begin to relax, they find their feet and slip into the zone.

Tips for getting into the zone

Allworth offers five tips for finding flow:

  1. Choose the best environment for you. "Figure out which types of environments are most conducive to finding your flow," says Allworth, "and work them in whenever possible." Allworth prefers a coffee shop for writing over an office.
  2. Find the right music. Allworth notes that music seems to help activate the emotions that lead to flow. He says that it's common to see athletes listening to music while training or right before a big event. Just as there is a known connection between music and athletic performance, Allworth has found a link between music and work. "I spend a lot of time writing with headphones in," he states, "and getting the music right always seems to be a pretty important step to getting the words right." As an added bonus, listening to music with headphones blocks out distractions.
  3. Consider caffeine. Allworth acknowledges that caffeine won't guarantee a state of flow, but—for him—it can increase the odds. As someone who consumes no caffeine, I can't vouch for this tip, but I have a friend with ADHD who would agree with Allworth.
  4. Exercise both your body and your mind. Allworth advises people trying to find flow in a physical pursuit (e.g., athletics) to exercise their mind and people trying to find flow in a mental pursuit (e.g., work) to exercise their body. "The nature of the zone is that it is neither purely physical, nor purely mental," says Allworth. "Having both parts of your body functioning well helps you get there."
  5. Find your best time of day. When Allworth studied his performance, he found that his peak periods occurred at 3:00 PM and 10:00 PM, and that it was almost impossible for him to achieve flow before 10:00 AM. "I can be productive," he concedes, "but there's no way I'm getting in the zone."

Many of Allworth's conditions for finding flow were present on my spring morning in the Carleton University parking lot. The environment was ideal: comfortable, peaceful and devoid of distractions. The music was fitting: soft, uplifting classical. My hunger and thirst were satiated: while I hadn't had caffeine, I had just consumed a healthy snack of pear and walnuts and simple, refreshing water. My body was relaxed: I had just spent an hour walking with Freddie at the dog park, one of my favourite places in the world. And the timing was perfect: late morning, after a good breakfast and re-energizing hike, and I was in no hurry to go anywhere. I had to wait for Melanie for close to an hour that morning, but all the while I was hoping she wouldn't come back too soon and break the spell.

From my experience of writing every day in Jenesis, I would add one more tip to those offered by Allworth: Just get started. You will never have a shot at getting into the zone if you don't start. Every night at 8:00 PM, I sit down at my computer. Sometimes I procrastinate, checking my news feed or social media. As the minutes tick by, peer pressure kicks in and I manage to begin. After 15 or 30 minutes, a post starts to emerge from my fingertips. And at about the 45-minute mark, the thoughts come a little more readily and the sentences flow more easily.

On those occasions when I don't know what to write about, I think about my kids and what they need to know—what wisdom I can impart for their benefit. They are my biggest motivators. Thinking of them evokes positive emotions and this, above anything else, helps me to get into the zone.