3 ms·

I believe it's fruitless to try to reach that state. Because the harder you try, more difficult it is to reach. I have been in the zone working on a messy desk,

I believe it's fruitless to try to reach that state. Because the harder you try, more difficult it is to reach. I have been in the zone working on a messy desk, with tons of distractions around. And I have failed to be in the zone with all my website-blocking apps and having my phone away. You get into the zone because you're obsessed with a problem or an idea. It's the key to being in the flow. Too many people try to optimize the environment, when it helps only a little. Unfortunately, I only have a little clue how to trigger it. But I do know that what you're working on is the most important part. In addition to that journaling, reading, and meditation help. Other than that, it's okay to leave these things to chance and not try too hard.

jebarker 3y ago
> I believe it's fruitless to try to reach that state. Because the harder you try, more difficult it is to reach. Just like meditation. With meditation my experience was that the "trick" is realizing that meditation isn't a special state that you only go into sometimes, the goal (for want of a better word) is to be in a meditative (aware and undistracted) state all of the time. I think the same may be true of focus/deep work/flow, i.e. the ideal situation would be that you bring your regular state of being closer to the focused state rather than trying to figure out how to get into that special state some of the time.