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.