A California style pool goal
Twice in my life I have reached "The Zone." I mean, The Zone akin to freaking Nirvana, where all reality, outside sources, etc. are either suspended or peripheral, and your entire concentration is focused on what you are doing at the moment. Quiet, blissful, brain hum- and when the activity stops, you feel like you woke up from a dream and can not remember any of the details, just the sensation of Purpose. And I'm not talking about anything drug related, seriously.
Once was during a college math test. I got every question and the bonus questions perfectly. Felt well- rested when the test was over, like I just woke up, and couldn't remember any of the questions. I felt peaceful and was not worried over my test score. Now I sort of feel like it was a slight waste of The Zone, esp since I hate math and worked very hard to already have an A anyway, but I am still grateful for the experience.
The other time was during pool practice with my old teacher. I ran out from somewhere in the middle of a rack, broke and made a ball, and proceeded to run, break and run, for four full racks before breaking dry. Afterwards I was told what I had done, and I didn't really remember any of the shots, had never experienced anything like stress or self- conciousness during the runs, only Purpose. Again, I felt quiet, restful, and dream like.
So my immediate goal is to find that Zone again. My long term goal is to be able to find it more regularly. What I notice about both experiences now is that they each came after a great deal of constant, arduous work and practice...
