Have You Ever Been ‘In The Zone?’

Have you ever been doing something and doing it so well that everything you're trying to accomplish comes together seamlessly and flawlessly? You're 'in the zone' and that's what happened to me this week when I put up a record breaking score in pinball.

I say record breaking in that I beat the high score that had been put on this Attack From Mars pinball machine in Gorham several years ago by one the best players in Maine. Mike Haycock, who we call ACE because those are his high score initials, had a score on 'Attack' in the high 30 billions. I was able to put up 50 billion and grab the new Grand Champion score.

How did I do it? I honestly don't know. As I played the game, I just started to get the feel for it. I was able to make shots, I could catch rebounds and flip to make another shot, I could nudge the machine to save the ball from draining. Everything fell into place.

Normally I would be very distracted by others in the room, music and sounds. It was all gone and the only thing that I was focused on was being 'in the zone.' It was a great feeling.

Turns out, its an actual recognized state of being and scientists have found what happens in your brain to cause it.

This video from NBC Left Field explains how to be 'in the zone' through pinball players and jugglers.

Have you ever been in the zone? Tell us about it in the comments below or on our Facebook page.