"Replicating conditions" rarely works for me. No matter how much I stage the room, the lighting, the time of day, my mood, etc., it doesn't seem to matter. Why? Because I'm focusing on byproducts, not the real thing. The only way I can get back into the zone is to work on "zone appropriate" work that is "zone ready". Call it whatever you want: the most important thing, the critical path, the lowest building block, etc. It needs to be ready to be worked on (all the prerequisites done) and I need to be ready to work on it. Necessary and sufficient conditions.
One thing that struck me the other day is that when I'm interrupted by a living human being when in the zone I'm probably not the nicest person to be around.
That's OK, because you're not yourself anyway. You're some other persona living in the body you share. Sometimes I think I have multiple personality disorder, my personalities are "me in the zone" and "me not in the zone". We both know each other exists, we respect each other, but we have never met.
Total immersion is a powerful tool, it makes it possible to achieve things that are normally at or just beyond what I could do in a regular work setting.
I'll take it a step further: it's the only way to get some things done. Sometimes I look at some work that I did and I can't believe I did it. (Worse, I wonder how I'll ever do something at that level again.) Then I realize that I was in the zone when I did it and all I have to do is return to the zone and trust that my other persona takes over. You don't have to be able to build something right now, you just have to believe that it's possible for you to build it when you're in the zone.
Nice post, Jacques. A few other things that may be helping:
- I do all my work in my private home office.
- no land line
- only 6 people have my cell phone number for emergencies only
- no texting
- no chat
- I only check email in batches
- I only check Hacker News in batches
- L-shaped desk, single 19" monitor
- great office chair
- 3 kinds of light: natural, overhead, and task
- green & black full screen Textpad editor
- alt-tab to full screen test session
- windows open all year round (in winter it gets cold)
- sweat suit in winter, gym clothes in summer
- I work on only one thing: the most important.
- When I'm stuck, I go away from the computer.
- I always have pen & pad nearby. Always.
- Certain foods & drink help - this changes and is tricky.
- I face the door.
- I face southwest in every desk I've ever had. (I don't know why.)
- Cats remind me I'm not alone, but don't interrupt (much).
- SO knows: If I'm typing & looking at screen: don't interrupt!