Introduction to the Zone
What does it take in finding the zone? Some people believe that it is possible to enter the so-called “zone.” through meditation, running, singing, etc. What is it like to get into the zone? Many athletes describe the feeling as being “in sync” with their body or mind. It is as if they know exactly what their body needs and when they need it. They can predict what will happen next without thinking about it or reacting to it. What does it take to get into this state? This article intends to share how it can potentially be achieved through a couple of key techniques.
I chose today’s topic for the intellectual and spiritual pillars of holistic health. The idea popped into my head while watching a Cowboys vs Raiders game and how well it was being played. It would be difficult to pinpoint which athletes were actually finding the zone” but assuredly, some were at least drifting in and out of this state.
I did a little research online prior to writing and found many articles referring to the zone as “the flow.” No big deal I thought but it seems watered down from the meaning and experience I am referring to as the zone. Several of these flow articles spoke of how the work day could go smoother if you can get into the flow and other lame examples that do not do justice to the original zone meaning.
The flow or zone is not in my experience just an easy day or focusing better. It’s not about being busy and losing track of time. These things are what i would refer to as a good or fruitful day maybe but not the zone or what we called zoning.
History of Finding the “Zone”
50 years ago, athletes would talk about the zone in reverent ways as a sort of Zen mindset that allowed for miraculous performances. They spoke of how elusive it was to get in the zone as though it was the holy grail to the ultimate level of consciousness. When interviewed, I recall some saying they were zoning as if it were an out of body experience.
This term has not been used in quite some time. Are the elite athletes simply getting into the zone so frequently that it’s no big deal! I say this not as an elite athlete but as a former scholastic athlete that experienced the zone in brief moments until I attained the ultimate level one day! The following is my account of that experience nearly fifty years ago and still clear in my memory!
I played all the sports but at the end of my high school experience, I focused on golf thinking it might be my future. I had been an all-conference athlete and captain of the team my junior year and was having an outstanding senior year leading our school to its first state tournament finals. The faculty voted me athlete of the year and first golfer to win this award at my school. I had accomplished just about everything I had hoped except winning the state. My coach pointed out that with one tournament left before graduating, I had not beaten the school scoring record.
What’s Your Motivation in Finding the Zone?
This stat was not on my radar but since he mentioned it, I suddenly had the desire to set this mark. We mostly played nine-hole matches except for the conference and state tournaments that were the full 18. The school had been in existence for about 30 years when I was attending, and we had nearly 4,000 students enrolled. The nine-hole record was 3 under par. It was in the Chicago area in the spring so scoring conditions and weather were usually nasty until June.
I could have graduated early since I had enough credits but wanted to stay for golf season. I had just two classes the last semester so I could usually be out practicing for a couple hours before matches and when nobody else was around. When I was informed about the record a couple days prior to the last match, I gave it quite a bit of thought. My breakthrough revelation happened on the day of the match. I got to the course about two hours before the match and instead of practicing, and found a shady tree and sat down against it. Here is what happened next.
My Finding the “Zone” Epiphany
This is when the magic occurred and how it went down. It was a balmy spring day with the temperature very comfortable in the 60s. I fell into a daydream, semi-conscious state under this tree. I recall running what seemed like a movie in my head. It was long before video games but similar to what is now available in a game format. It began with me stepping up to the first tee and followed with every shot in detail for the entire round! It was playing out in real time and not bits and pieces.
I had played the course hundreds of times and already knew the best way to play every hole so I did not need to strategize this aspect. I literally played every shot to perfection in my mind for the entire nine holes and came out of this trance about an hour and a half later! It was the exact time it took to play a typical match!
I felt groggy and saw that it was just about time to get over and check in. In my recollection, I don’t believe that I warmed up or practiced. There was no interacting with anyone or the coach as I remained in a type of hypnotic state as I got to the tee. I was in the matrix or some other dimension it seemed as I teed off, I proceeded to play each shot as pictured in my dream state under the tree just minutes ago! There was no talking with my playing partners and looking back, I was oblivious.
I felt invincible and after a few holes could feel my playing partners watching and becoming transfixed observers. There was never a thought of winning or any trepidation or doubt and I proceeded to hit every shot just as my dream state indicated and shot 4 under 32 breaking the record! When I finished, I was mobbed by my teammates and coach who had been following my round but outside of my zone. I snapped out of this state and realized what had happened and that I had accomplished the goal by imagining it in detail prior to the round! Imagery can improve your sports!
The Aftermath
I was sort of freaked out and did not tell anyone about this experience for several days until I could sort it out myself. I then told teammates and friends about my “zoning” experienced just like I have told you here. They obviously couldn’t dispute what I said since it certainly got the results so I may have shared something that they could also use. It was truly a confluence of things coming together that day and so incredible that I will never forget the experience.
I wound up going into business and never played the tour even though I played with many top players over the years including a weekly game with Earl Woods who would bring Tiger along many times. I was the only person to beat Tiger at the Navy course in Cypress during the member-guest tournament. We played until he was about 16 when he got very busy winning junior national opens, etc.
There are different levels in sports and life in general and to make it on the PGA tour is incredibly difficult. With a few million golfers in the US, we are talking about something like 120 people that get to play the PGA tour each year. If they do not play well enough, they lose their card. It’s about 1/10 of 1 percent of golfers that get to play at that level to put it in perspective. There are a lot of great players that we will never hear about and the one’s that become household names have one thing in common. They can remain in this elusive zone much longer and more often!
Is Finding the Zone Outside Sports Possible?
I went into another passion which was music and opened a musical instrument store and school in 1976. We actually bought an existing store that was pretty much going out of business. We went from doing about 5k in sales per month to 30k in just over a year and the previous owner never did more than 50k in a year in over nine years of doing business. I felt as though what I innately created and planned, was working by drawing from some of my athletic successes and music competitions.
A couple years into it, I got this idea to piggyback our national music industry convention and put on my own post convention sale that was open to the public. I only had a couple employees but thought I would conscript manufacturers reps from the convention, bring in their wares and rent a large building. I wrote down all my plans and projections and went full steam ahead. Several industry insiders said that I was insane and it was going to be a disaster.
I have to say that it aged me about twenty years and after the two day event, collapsed for a few days. We did nearly 100k in business and went to the next level becoming a big factor in the southern California musical instrument sales scene. I went on to co author rock school with Yamaha and was one of the first businesses in any sector to advertise on cable tv in the US at the beginning of the 80s. We went from very small to a multi million dollar operation with 500 weekly private students attending our music school in addition to the retail store.
Make no mistake, preparation and practice is at the top of the list. Asking young people what their goals are today often gets the reply that they want to be a famous Youtuber or make a lot of money. This will likely never get you into the zone let alone truly successful. There is no substitute for preparation backed up by study, research and practice,
My point is that I used the technique that I inadvertently learned that day on the golf course to get into the “zone”! I would get in a quiet place and daydream a plan and then write it down in detail. I will share with you the same mantra I told my employees, and it was, “If it’s not written, it’s not real.” There is something magical about it even though I did not write down my golf plan, I think that I never came out of the self-hypnotic state in that instance.
In building a marketing or business plan., I would go into the semi-conscious state and then write it down. I would write reams of pages in detail as though it was happening and put precise numbers down. The amazing thing is that the outcome would almost always be nearly the same numbers projected! These projections were simply dreamt up with no deep and mystical math formulas! It all began by getting in that semi-conscious state I believe is the “zone.”
So, getting in the flow is not the same as finding the “zone” from what I can tell. I believe it must be intentional, your vision, and planned in detail for it to happen.
I had a so called “music guru” from NY visit my store one day with his disciples that were other store owners from the southern Ca. area. This old Jewish guy went around the store proclaiming how this and that won’t work and that I carried too much variety and will fail. I thanked him for his unsolicited advice and watched as the sheep followed him out fixated on his every word. Long story short, all of his disciples eventually went out of business while I was around for nearly a quarter century then transitioned into manufacturing my own lines.
I knew my business and had my plans and dreams and I think that this is the key. You must have your own plan even if it’s somewhat borrowed and commit to it. Do not wait for a “guru” to tell you what to do!
I never paid attention to the competition and always took a different path. It was not because of genius but because I discovered finding the zone. Everyone takes ideas from other sources and builds their own version and that is what I did. I believe the secret is to envision it, write it down, revise it as necessary and then pull the trigger. You must own the vision and plan and have no thoughts of failing once it’s a go!
Summary
Maybe the message for this health pillar is to believe in yourself and do not be a sheep or afraid to execute your vision and plan. You may not always hit a home run but by being in there swinging, you are leading the pack and will find success! Once you get a win under your belt, and you will, your confidence grows and you will trust your plan that you got from the ether called the “zone”!
Lastly, winning in business, games, love or whatever is exhilarating and healthy for the immune system! Being a forlorn sheep is a life of depression and illness. You needn’t be The Rock to be an alpha but only the captain of your own ship and journey! Try this miraculous method that is within your grasp and reap the rewards of holistic health in finding the “zone”!
