“Wax on. Wax off.”
“Don’t think. Feel.”
“Wiggle your big toe.”
In the proverbial dojo of martial arts cinema, sharp kicks and rapid punches are doled out reflexively, like breathing or blinking. But for seemingly untouchable heroes like Daniel LaRusso in Karate Kid or Beatrix Kiddo in Kill Bill, the path to mastery doesn’t start out with instant success. It requires consistent training, well-seasoned mentors and an abundance of focus over time.
The outcome of such due diligence? The ability to enter a productive flow state.
But successfully mastering the art of a flow state isn’t exclusive to martial arts. Flow states happen frequently across a vast spectrum of activities and interests, ranging from yoga and long-distance running to technical fields like video games and engineering. In fact, when it comes to tasks like software development and intense coding, flow states often help engineers find their natural rhythm and get into the zone during major projects.
“I would describe ‘flow’ as a state of heightened focus and energy,” said Nick Dollarhide, staff software engineer at Workrise. “In a flow state, the ideas and code just pour out of me — I am one with the keyboard.”
According to Dollarhide, the quintessential ingredient to properly entering a flow state is understanding how to achieve focus — which can look different for each individual. Regardless of the activity, eliminating minute distractions prior to embarking on a new task can make a huge difference in productivity.
“Reduce distractions and reduce friction,” Dollarhide added. “Close out all unneeded apps and browser tabs. Set your phone to silent mode. When I’ve achieved my flow state, time flies by: I’ll look up and two hours have passed in what felt like 30 minutes.”
To learn more about what a prosperous flow state looks like, Built In Austin caught up with Dollarhide to learn his top strategies for eliminating barriers — and how engineers of every background can transform into the Bruce Lee of the keyboard.
Workrise is a workforce management company making it easier for skilled laborers to find work and for companies to find in-demand, trained experts.
Describe what your flow state looks like.
There’s no friction between the thoughts in my head and the code on the screen. I can easily juggle all of the context without skipping a beat. Moving from one idea to the next is effortless. And it feels really good! It’s like when you are engrossed in a movie or video game.
As a staff engineer, I have a lot of meetings and it’s hard for me to find time to get into a flow state. But recently, Workrise had a week-long hackathon. Hackathons are great for getting into a flow state because your calendar is clear and you have to get a lot done in a short period of time. I got more coding done in three days than in the previous three weeks.
How do you personally get into a flow state?
For me, getting into a flow state is all about getting into a state of focus. As a coder and as an employee in the 21st century, there are an incredible number of distractions throughout the workday: meetings, emails, support tickets, initiatives, WFH distractions and so on.
If I really want to get into a flow state, I have to reduce the number of distractions to zero. I will block off my calendar and close out extraneous apps like Slack, email and my calendar. I’ll get a snack, a coffee and some water so I don’t feel the need to get up from my chair for a while.
I also usually have to feel some level of motivation. If I feel burned out, it is difficult to get into the zone. If I’m not feeling motivated, I will watch a YouTube video on a topic that inspires me for a hit of motivation and some dopamine.
I almost always listen to music to start. During the first 10 minutes, I’m often still thinking about a past meeting, a Slack conversation or I’m distracted by my environment. Loud music helps me drown out all of the noise — it gives me energy and a rhythm to work by. At some point, if the music turns into more of a distraction than a catalyst, I’ll turn it off and keep going.
Getting in the zone starts with knowing yourself.”
What tips or advice do you have for others who might be struggling to get in the zone?
Some people focus better in a noisy environment like a coffee shop or while listening to loud music, and others need silence. Figure out which works best for you and do that. Getting in the zone starts with knowing yourself.
Once you get started, it might take five to 10 minutes to get into a flow state. Don’t worry if it’s not happening right away — in fact, expect that it won’t happen right away. Just keep going and let yourself completely focus on your task.
In the past, I’ve used a Pomodoro timer. Often I’ll just keep going once the timer goes off because I’m already in the zone, but feel free to follow the Pomodoro process or any of the myriad techniques to help you focus.
It can be harder to get into the zone after you’ve been working for a few hours. A short walk around the building to clear your head and get the blood flowing can be helpful. You can also try to schedule focus time first thing in the morning when you’re the most rested and haven’t been working on other tasks.
