Zone of a Genius

Zone of a Genius

Aim: To encourage finding time for ourselves and activities that give us flow and joy.

Level: 3
Duration: 10-15 min

Take your time to flow.

Instructions:

What do you love to do? What activity is pure fun and relaxation for you but also has a meaning to it? What can you do for hours without getting tired?

  • Write down 1-4 of your answers on a piece of paper - The answers shouldn’t be mindless activities (watching TV, scrolling social media, eating, sleeping).
  • Leave the paper in a visible place.
  • Set up a fixed time every day, when you will be doing one of the things you chose. Try to repeat this every day for a whole week. Spend 10 minutes only with yourself. Try to minimize distractions, and avoid double-tasking.

After 7 days, compare this week to your usual routine: How do you organize your time, and do you give enough for your hobbies/entertainment? Was it missing from your life?

Advice:

Duration is 20 minutes on the first day, and then 10 minutes each day for a week

The 10-minute rule is an important one. It gives you time free of disturbances, which you can spend on your thoughts. If you feel like 10 minutes wasn't enough, that is also okay - if you have time, you can keep going. The exercise is about you giving yourself at least 10 minutes to do what you like, not decreasing it of course.

Extra: This exercise is inspired by the work of Gay Hendricks.