Preparing for work or for any significant event or activity you may want to take part in is not always easy. There are many people who have lost great opportunities for advancement simply because they were nervous, anxious or they just didn’t feel ready.
Of course, if you don’t know how to let go of all that and reach the elusive “zone” yet, there are many ways for you to learn that without much effort. Nevertheless, you will need to find your own unique way to reach that place where you utterly and completely lose yourself in your work.
Remember: Everyone Is Different
Everyone has their own preparation rituals: politicians preparing for a speech, athletes getting into the “winning mindset” before an important race or artists who are just starting a new sculpture or painting, all have a specific way of reaching the precise state of being that would allow them to perform successfully.
If you have observed these rituals, however, many of them may have seemed entirely different. Some simply sit still and meditate, while others like to repeat simple and empowering mantras, concentration methods or gestures to help them get into the proper mindset for the upcoming event.
Similarly, you may also have your own original way of dealing with your insecurities and empowering yourself to feel strong and confident before a meeting, a performance or even when you just wake up to go to work.
Of course, what works for others may not work for you, but, fortunately, there are a number of ways to find out exactly what the best approach in your case is and to fully exploit it.
Pinpointing a Favorable Mental and Emotional State
The easiest way to get into a productive state is to think of a time when you have managed to use your cognitive and creative skills in harmony, to the best of your abilities and to get a difficult task done with ease.
For example, this may include a time when you have convinced a new client to sign an important deal, when you won an important game at a chess tournament or simply when you have managed to finish your work earlier than usual.
Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to determine exactly how you felt during those times:
- What motivated and inspired you before the event started?
- How focused and calm were you?
- How did your feelings progress through it?
- Was there a more challenging period you had to handle? If yes, how did you deal with it?
- What was your response to any other people who were involved?
By answering these questions, you will know exactly what your ritual needs to lead to and be able to break everything down into smaller goals that you can reach through a blend of breathing or relaxation exercises, working out, surrounding yourself with certain objects or anything else that you can think of.
Although you can find your “groove” and set up a detailed ritual, you will not always know when you are ready or whether it will work in each case. Nevertheless, if you remain conscious about the way you feel when you are not entirely in the “zone”, it will be very easy to tweak small parts of your preparation in order to compensate for any seeming lacks.