Getting in the zone

If you google "getting in the zone" your search will yield multiple articles about how to find that mental place of focus.  Athletes talk about that place as being where body and mind work cooperatively and successfully to achieve their goal.  Pitchers pitch the perfect game, hitters hit a home run, golfers hit the ever elusive hole in one, quarterbacks and receivers seem to dance down the field in perfect choreographic sync.  Psychologists call it flow, being fully engaged, energized, focused and successful in an activity.  Surgeons need it, lawyers need it, NYC taxi drivers need it; I would venture to say every one needs that zone experience.  It's a place that has eluded me lately, but it's a place I will be fervently seeking in the next two days.

Two days from now I will have the interview of my career.  When I started my job search I was turned on to this position by a colleague who is also looking for other employment.  It is a dream job for me.  I've commented to family and friends before that the way that my career has gone so far, I am tailored to work in the state of Oklahoma.  The training and experience that I've had above and beyond my degrees are very helpful in Oklahoma school districts.  That's not to say I can't work other places, or that my knowledge isn't useful in other places, but it's tailored to this location.  This position will allow me to use everything that I've been trained to do, everything my personality thrives while doing, and everything I've wanted to do since I started graduate school.

There were between 250-300 applicants for 60 available positions.  I've been selected from that initial pool of applicants to interview for one of the sixty positions.  There are two parts to the interview.  The first part is a five minute presentation on the topic of my choice.  I've been told to be creative and open.  I have a smartboard available for my use should I want it.  The second part of the interview is question and answer.  I was told the interview would last approximately one hour.  If selected for this position, I would be assigned to work with a district or districts to provide professional development and academic coaching.

As one of my mentors recently told me, this job would allow me to be the data and statistic junkie that I am.  Linda, one of my good friends and teammates told me that this is a perfect position for me and that she has a good feeling about it.  I want both of them to be right!   Linda and I went to the city yesterday for a Redhawks game and before we made it to Bricktown she drove by the capital to show me where I need to park to go into the building.  Yes...I said capitol...the interview is with the State Department of Education.  The OKSDE office is not housed in the capital building, but in one of the buildings within the capital complex.

I need to find that mental place of focus, engagement and productivity.  Hopefully I can channel the likes of Josh Beckett, Jonathan Papelbon, Dustin Pedroia and Peyton Manning on their best days.  It's the interview of my career and it's time to get in the zone.