The Place and the Zone
Rands talks about "The Zone", that state where the "fucking magic happens." He also talks about the "Snap," the primal response to disturbing the Zone. How closely do I (and several thousand other nerds) relate! I've had several run-ins and interactions - er, fights - with the significant other because of the Zone, a disturbance, and a follow-on Snap. Thank you, Rands, for explaining it in a way that I never could. He also makes a distinction between the Place and the Zone. The Place is still exercising mental muscles, and could result in a Snap if disturbed, but he does make the delineation (or concession?) that the Place is acceptable to disturb, and the Zone is absolutely not.
The Cave
Rands also talks about the Cave - that essential place where nerdery happens. It has a few elements: computer and internet access, world-cancelling features, nerd-knacks, something to drink, well-defined layout, a view. In another article, Rands mentions "the hoodie" - which can be both a visual cue to stay away, and an actual physical hoodie to reinforce the Cave. I do wonder if my lounging-around sweatshirt with a hoodie that I wear at home actually makes a difference.
The Routine
Another critical discussion point involves the routine of getting into the Zone, the set of triggers that bring your mind into focus and let the magic happen. Rands has a back-and-forth between preparing his coffee and making sure the sky hasn't fallen. My routine isn't extremely well defined, but it mostly consists of making sure I have one or more drinks available, making sure I have an empty bladder, putting on headphones, and getting some music going (typically soundtracks, occasionally classical, occasionally trance/electronica/metal). Interestingly enough, I noticed a certain few tracks seem to trigger a state of flow for me. Embarrassingly enough, I'll tell you a couple - "In My Head" by Jason Derulo, "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy. I think it's because I've heard them so many millions of times that I no longer pay attention to them, but they still have a driving beat good for focusing mental attention. I don't know - you have to do what works, right? I just created a "Zonin'" playlist, which uses some of those songs to get into the flow, then moves into soundtracks, etc.
Home vs. Office
I realized this weekend and yesterday that I get far more done at home than I do at my office, and that's presenting a problem. Why do I spend an hour each way on the train, and over $5 each way, to go to a place that's less productive? What's the point? I'm costing myself, and I'm costing my employer money in lost productivity.
I decided to run a little productivity analysis:
| Requirement | Home | Office |
|---|---|---|
| The Cave | 10x12 extra bedroom as a shared workspace with the SO. Suboptimal glass-and-black L-desk with not enough leg room in the corner. White/off-white apartment walls, black bookshelves. Occasionally I turn the couch into a cave, typically with a hoodie and world-cancelling devices. | My own office, with tan/brown walls. Ikea half-L desk with plenty of legroom. Rickety wooden shelf in the corner. |
| The Hoodie | At home I usually wear a hooded sweatshirt and can pull it up to keep my head warm. Somehow that helps. I also have a sign that says "Not now, Chief, I'm in the fucking ZONE," as an indicator for the SO. | I don't usually wear hoodies at the office, though maybe I'll have to start. Today I tried wearing my beanie, which seems to be having a similar effect. I do have a door on my office, which is helpful to be able to close. |
| The Computer | I usually use a combination of my MacBook Pro and Dell XPS 420. I've got 3 monitors laid out, but only 2 hooked up to the Dell, and one gets hooked up to the laptop when I'm there. | 15" MacBook Pro, 24" Cinema Display. Mac Mini Server for playing around with. Dozens of laptops. Free iPad. |
| Internet | Also, FiOS internet = WIN (when it works). | Verizon business DSL (SUCKS!) |
| World-Cancelling | Altec in-ear headphones. They've got nice soft silicone cups that form to your ear and block a ton of sound. | I bring them to work too. Work has a door. But work doesn't have a dog or SO. |
| Nerd-Knacks | Not a ton of stuff. Picture of my year-old nephew? Nerdknacks are mostly on the shelves. Some plants for liveliness. | None. Time to fix that. |
| Drinks | All manners of coffee (DeLonghi espresso machine, Vietnamese drip brewers, French Press), tea, carbonated water, water, OJ, milk, protein powder. | Grocery store across the street, with sodas, carbonated water. Tea in the building, hot water heater (funny how much instant hot water helps). Starbucks around the corner. |
| Well-Defined Layout | A highly-optimized setup for what I need to accomplish. Monitors go just here, lamp there, files there, old textbook to set the laptop on just so. | Still in flux and changing, as I'm trying to find the optimal arrangement. I'm just not totally comfortable yet, since it's only been a few months. |
| View | Large bedroom windows overlooking the metro parking lot from the 5th floor. Mostly sky from the sitting position. Gorgeous lighting all day. | One large window, looks into apartment building across the way. Afternoon sun tends to burn into the room, forcing me to put up paper and easel pads to block it. |
The verdict? Home, by quite a bit. Small wonder I'm more productive there, eh, Rands?
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