The Zone

When I am in "The Zone," I get intense.

I'm talking about anything. Studying, working, cleaning, reading, shopping, etc. I become extremely focused.

For me there is no gray area. It's either I'm deep in "The Zone" or I'm no where close.

If I'm studying in "The Zone," I get lost in my books and notes and no text message, phone call, or chattering person can get me out of it. The only way it ends is if I feel like I've done enough work. For studying, it's did I get through enough material. For shopping, it's did I find what I was looking for. For cleaning, it's whenever I feel like the area is clean enough. So on and so forth. You get the idea.

For work, I just stay in "The Zone" as long as I feel like I need to be in it. At the restaurant or the reception hall, it's whenever the big rush comes through. When that's over, I slowly fade from the hustle and bustle and go back into my relaxed pace.

"The Zone" makes me very tunnel visioned. I've got my eyes set on the goal and there is no slowing down until I've achieved it.

When I'm studying, this is all well and good because I'm sitting down and zoning into my school work. However, when I'm running around at work, "The Zone" can be a bit of a problem.

At the sushi restaurant, there is this certain time where the business just pops and we get a whole lot of people come in and a whole lot of take-out orders phoned in all at the same time. So I have to seat people, take calls, bag orders, get other orders ready, get food from the back for orders, take walk-in take-out orders, pay out people, etc. Needless to say I am running around a lot. Multi-tasking at it's finest.

This is when I enter "The Zone." *Insert Twilight Zone theme music*

Full Throttle Tunnel Vision Zonage.

(Zonage is not a word.)

Sometimes, I get so focused that I'll just run straight into a chair because I just don't see it there. I mean, hey, when you all you can see is the box of sushi you're bee lining towards, how can you notice the human body right smack dab in front of you. Can anyone blame me for running them over?!

Oh...you can? Hm...I don't get it.

The way I see it, one cannot be blamed for getting in "The Zone." It just doesn't compute.

There is this one girl that I work with who has this crazy habit of just being in the wrong place at the wrong time with me. I'll turn around, and BAM! I run straight into her because she's just chillaxing behind me. Or I'll need get to the sushi counter and she's just standing there drumming her fingers and humming a song to herself with not a care in the world and I'm freaking out because I have five people at the hostess stand all wondering where their food is. Wherever I turn, she is always, without fail, right there behind me. And always right where I need to go.

It used to make me frustrated because it would knock me off my rhythm and because I just get way too intense when I'm working. But now, I kind of like it. I've become so used to her being there that when I turn around, I instinctively make way for her. I've mastered the art of working around her and the challenge makes work that much more fun.

I feel like, if people see me, they should be able to see "The Zone" pretty much written across my forehead and just know to clear the way.

For your own safety, you don't want to disrupt "The Zone."

You could die....