Have you ever been so focused on what you’re doing, so in the zone, so completely into your task that you look up and many hours have passed? I love when that happens. It’s usually a fair indication that I am really enjoying the experience. I’m so fascinated with the task at hand that my brain absolutely refuses to be distracted in any way. I can almost feel the gears turning inside my head like a well-oiled machine working at maximum efficiency. What a gift!
In this day and age, it’s a lot harder to avoid distractions, even if you’re engaged in something that you feel passionate about. If your cell phone doesn’t ring, your laptop pings. You get an e-mail or a text. The news plays in the background. Someone tries to sell you something. Tweets and posts and blogs and messages abound.
A friend and I were discussing this the other day and decided that these zones of ultimate production should be called “up time”. That’s as opposed to down time. Perfect.
Even though you are way too focused when you’re in the zone to even realize that you’re there, when you do finally look up, you always feel great about yourself, and maybe, dare I say it? A little in awe. That awe comes from getting a really clear glimpse of exactly what you’re capable of.
There’s usually a great deal of satisfaction about what you’ve managed to accomplish, too. I like that feeling quite a bit. Now I just need to figure out how to enter that zone intentionally and stay there as long as possible. I’m definitely open to suggestion.
The View from a Drawbridge 
Uptime does feel like a good word for this state of mind that is timeless and boundless. As for stepping into that intentional state, I find for myself when I wake in the morning, if I DON’T engage with the radio or laptop or devices, I can stay in that open focused state for the morning hours. Oddly, I can also get there in a crowded coffee house surrounded by people I don’t really know, when I put myself in the bubble. Imagine, putting yourself in a bubble. I wrote over 3000 words in a matter of hours yesterday in the bubble. It felt awesome. Thanks for this post!
Thanks for inspiring it, Deborah! And I admire that level of concentration. I don’t think I could get a thing done in a coffee shop.
I thought “up time” had to do with the bridges…
A fellow whose name I can’t spell or pronounce refers to this harmonious state as “flow”. He’s got some books out but I don’t recall their titles.
Flow is good, too.
From the number of honking horns, shouts and eggs that have been thrown at me over the years, if I used “up time” in a drawbridge context, I suspect it would have negative connotations for most people.
Do you mean Chris Guillebeau?
Did you ever check out that “Wait but Why” website I told you about? Absolutely food for thought and amusing at the same time.
H
Yes I do, sometimes. I have to admit though that I write way more blogs than I read.