{"href":"https://api.simplecast.com/oembed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdiftk.simplecast.com%2Fepisodes%2Fthe-zone-XwNVy5Pa","width":444,"version":"1.0","type":"rich","title":"When you only ever get into the ‘zone’ just before pickup","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/5244e8dc-6968-4b85-8237-b52d9ddbebf9/460ce14e-d5a7-4841-a074-510b95dda8e0/diftk-podcast-artwork-gold.jpg","thumbnail_height":300,"provider_url":"https://simplecast.com","provider_name":"Simplecast","html":"<iframe src=\"https://player.simplecast.com/5bb277a6-820b-46c7-9167-c04c979179d3\" height=\"200\" width=\"100%\" title=\"When you only ever get into the ‘zone’ just before pickup\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"></iframe>","height":200,"description":"“How do I get into the zone earlier in the day?\n\nPre-child my working hours were 10-7, with my best work done between 3 and 7 - it took me that long to really get into the flow. The thing I've struggled with since having a child at nursery and school is that I tend to hit the elusive 'flow' approximately 20 minutes before I have to pick up my child. Pre-child I could have leant into it and created my best work, but now I have to drop what I'm doing and take another day to get back into that zone again (if at all).\n\nWhen I mentioned this in the DIFTK community, Tori Beat felt the same. She said:\n\n\"I get so frustrated when I feel like I’m about to have a mild epiphany and then POW, it’s pick up time.\n\nIt’s akin to when one of those magicians whips a tablecloth from underneath a beautifully laid table but, instead of leaving everything in miraculous good order, EVERYTHING IS SMASHED ALL OVER THE FLOOR. And I’ve got to tidy up.\"\n\nIt is so frustrating, and I just don't know how to change it. Even now, I've got a clear day for focused work but it's only 10am and I'm clearly very distracted.\n\nMy son goes to a childminder two days a week after school so I do have two 'long' days, but even then the flow doesn't happen until about 4pm (I rarely get it on the short days). I'm a solo parent so can't take turns with a partner to just work through, and rarely get child-free time other than that I pay for, which doesn't help. \n\nHELP. How can I take less time to get in the zone of doing my best work?”"}