In The Zone

A phrase used to describe when one has entered a state of mind that is optimal for whatever he or she may be doing.

The phrase is most often associated with sports when a player seems to be doing everything right and appears unstoppable.

--DrewMarsh

Also applies to the group or team as a whole.

See: MentalStateCalledFlow

---

In the general context of programming I would say one is InTheZone when:

• Code flows from your finger tips to the keyboard as if you were OneWithTheComputer OneWithTheUniverse??).
• Every time you encounter a bug it takes you less than a second to determine the problem and fix it (without breaking anything else of course) and you don't remember how you fixed it once you're done
• Everything that you thought of the night before when you were trying to fall asleep works flawlessly when you try it the next day
• The Compact Disc you are listening to finishes and you don't remember hearing any of the songs
• You write functions that mysteriously work first time and never need to be re-written
• You're sleepy. A little hungry. You decide to go home, and realize the sun is coming up. You realize you've just left the zone.
• Variant if you are already at home (and probably have been InTheZone for several hours): You leave the zone when your alarm (from whatever device wakes you up in the morning) rings and you realize you simply didn't go to bed.