In the Zone

Have you ever heard the expression “being in the zone?”

Yesterday, I gained a moment of insight after glancing at my Fitbit, before calling it a day.

I started wearing a Fitbit last summer. Over time, it helped me be more active by reminding me to get up and move around for a few minutes every hour.  I notice the “zone” readings, but generally ignore them.

Then last night, I had the great pleasure of presenting a session called “Are you an Ideal Employer? Do you want to be?” to a group of my peers, in person, at an HRPA dinner meeting.

There were a few minor technical difficulties, such as the microphone not working, and having to transfer my presentation to the venue’s laptop, because mine wouldn’t connect to the projection system.

That being said, I’m a military veteran, and I’m used to projecting my voice, and I figured out how to use the unfamiliar laptop well enough to advance my slides, with only a few hiccups.

I invited the audience to help create an interactive experience by asking questions and making comments as the session unfolded.  I’m happy to say that I learned new things from my peers, as they were learning from me!

Because we were a relatively small group in a big space, the Trent Port Marina, I was able to walk and talk and engage with the audience while moving my whole body.

I love sharing what I know, and learning from others!  I feel energized when doing so, and it takes me some time to come down from the high of delivering an interactive session.  Some call this speaker’s high being in the zone.

The insight came about when I noticed that my Fitbit recorded me as being in the zone for 89 minutes yesterday.  When I checked this morning, I was able to confirm that this coincided with the duration of the session.

What was my insight you ask?

I am literally in the zone when I’m speaking in public.

Isn’t it fun when science backs up intuition!

How about you, what puts you “in the zone?”

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