It's all about eliminating distraction. That means an isolated location, with sound isolation, and no irrelevant people around. Getting in the zone is just a ma

It's all about eliminating distraction. That means an isolated location, with sound isolation, and no irrelevant people around. Getting in the zone is just a matter of time for me. Spending 20 minutes on something means I should be able to get a good few hours. The biggest barrier to this is the "i'll start right after [X]". Go the the bathroom, chat with someone about an idea, get a cup of coffee, check my mail, comment on a news article, write a blog post about a cool dancing robot, submit a time card, get a long lunch, go to a neighboring cube to get a piece of candy, get a glass of water, check on my finances, etc. People fill days doing junk like this. Even if interleaved with real work, the lack of focus prevents the coveted "zone". Identify and eliminate everything besides work that you're doing when you should be in a long stretch of work.