Recently, I had the privilege of participating in “The Zone!”For me, it was pleasant to be there. You are what you are “The Zone”?
You’re probably familiar with the words of professional athletes about their inability to be without. “The Zone”The magical place where all things work together. All of the mental and physical processes interact in perfect coordination. Professional athletes work hard to achieve those moments in any competitive or athletic sport. It’s the moment where the golfer has achieved the perfect stance, grip, and position on the green. Golfers look down at the fairway to visualize the trajectory of the ball and the distance. Golfers find that moment of peace and calm when they look back at their ball. The golfer strikes the perfect arched and positioned arms and swings the club toward the ball. The golfer imagines the face of the club striking the ball and then the ball following the exact path. It’s what it is like to live in that kind of environment. “The Zone!”
This is true for both programming and writing. This is the point when all of your programming makes sense. It works like this: Your schedule is tight and you are under immense pressure to complete your software build. Focus on what is important. All the pieces are in order for you to be productive. Side snack and energy drink. You can hear your favorite code-cracking music through the headphones. Your chair is at the ideal position to allow you to be productive. You also have the right books and notes available on your desk. Your computer launches all of the appropriate software. You also have, if your monitors are large enough, a second screen to view Google Search results. It’s time to get started. To get it really going, you need to spend a while. It all begins to work! There are multiple codes open at once. As you work through your code, you are aware of the global and local variables. Your code shrinks from 20 to three lines without affecting performance. You have just created a new method to achieve the functionality you want in your program. You can still hear the music through your headphones, but it is no longer there. Variables, data and formulas are now dancing in your head and through your fingers. The images disappear at the first sign of an interruption. You write madly to maintain the flow. Then it happens. It happens! It’s almost half an hour before you realize that nothing is written. Your brain just quit. It seems like you only have been at work for a short time, but suddenly you realise that your brain has spent 18 hours on the computer.
You are now ready for a crash. Then you grab some food and go to bed. You get up about 4 to 6 hours later. The ideas, variables and data that you have created will return as soon as your body is up. It’s hard not to want to get back on the computer again and crank out new code. You can continue this pace for many days until your goal is reached. Or RL (reallife) may get in the way, forcing you to stop and take a rest. Sometimes, you may feel your body or mind screaming. “Enough!”You crash for twenty hours straight.
It’s almost as if you are all nodding their heads in agreement. It is almost addictive. The creativity and flow of programming can take you out of your everyday life. You can forget everything else. You can even find it refreshing. However, it can be quite refreshing. Your family and friends may forget you exist. When you step out of your office for a nature walk, they treat you as if you are from another world. The key to these looks is not shaving, washing or wearing the exact same clothes over and over again. This is also unhealthy. It can lead to blood clots as well as other medical issues. The challenge is to find the perfect balance.
Recently, I had the opportunity to work on Java for Blackberry. The deadline was very short, plus I had to work on a Java application for Blackberry devices. It was also difficult because I was adding functionality to another’s code. (Non-standard API’s! Argh!) But I did get into it! “The Zone”It was amazing!
It is not something I recommend doing too often. Like any addictive activity, excessive use can result in physical and mental problems. The key is to strike the right balance. It is important to learn how to leave on a consistent basis. Take a break for just a moment and walk around the block at least twice per hour. You can snack on fruits, vegetables, nuts, and celery. (I like crunch while programming. Drinking energy drinks, such as Hansen’s is a good choice. Make sure you have lots of water. However, don’t go crazy with the energy drinks. Bad shakes are not good for code writing. If you are under pressure or stressed, make sure that you spend at least an hour per day exercising. Increased blood flow can make it easier to get your brain ready for programming. This is especially true if you have a challenging code problem. Your closest friends and family should know how important it is to tell them that you are still in love with them, that you will return soon and keep your promises. My personal motto is: Faith, family, friends and finances first, followed by fun. (The finance part is work. Each person has his or her own.
Also, visit “The Zone”It’s cool. This is geeky and nerdy. It’s also very trendy today. Keep in mind to keep moving and not to stay put.