Many of us can think of one movie we’ve seen countless times. But have you ever considered playing that tried-and-true classic as a way to stay focused when working remotely?
When EJ Sabathia wants to get into a “flow state” during the workday, he’ll occasionally play a movie he’s watched on repeat as background noise. The senior staff mechanical engineer at Carbon knows how hard it can be to carve out ample focus time, which is why he employs various creative practices like this one to maintain productivity.
When it comes to accomplishing his best work, Sabathia said he relies on a combination of small-group collaboration and individual focus time. He also structures his days to make sure morning, midday and afternoon periods are dedicated to what he’s most productive at during that time of day.
For Sabathia, finding time to stay focused at work has nurtured a passion for engineering that translates to his everyday life. When he’s not writing code, he spends his free time honing his development and design skills and familiarizing himself with various tools of the trade.
Below, Sabathia shares more about how he finds and maintains a flow state throughout the workday.
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What are the circumstances in which you do your best work?
I had to spend a good bit of time wondering, “What is my best work?” It truly depends on the phase of the current work or project. It involves a balance of small-group collaboration and individual intense focus.
Small-group collaboration is where things usually begin for me. Whether it’s a Zoom meeting or a comfortable conference room, the key is to keep the group focused on painting the broad strokes of the solution.
In true millennial fashion, my work style and habits turn the traditional workplace setting upside down. When the five-day, in-office work week was the norm, I would find a phone room or somewhere quiet to work, limiting distractions. Currently, I find myself tucked away in my home office, with all the creature comforts.
How do you structure your day to best facilitate getting into a “flow state?”
At the start of my day, I spend my time doing all the hard, uninteresting but necessary tasks, such as managing emails and planning how I’ll attack the day. During the middle portion of the day, I try to get any collaboration and meetings out of the way, saving my afternoons and evenings for my intense focus design work. Getting into the zone involves blasting something loud through my noise-canceling headphones or playing some movie I’ve seen a thousand times for background noise.
When I inevitably find myself in a rut and am unable to move forward, any of my hobbies help clear the fog. Gardening, washing the car, cooking — smoked meats are my jam — or walks around the neighborhood are my go-to distractions.
‘A FRESH PERSPECTIVE’
In addition to his other hobbies, Sabathia also spends his free time mentoring a high-school robotics team. By helping aspiring technologists foster an interest in engineering, he gets to build up a deeper understanding of his own work. “I find that designing mechanisms and problem-solving with the students keeps my own skills sharp, often lending a fresh perspective to tackling issues on the job,” Sabathia said.
How does your work as an engineer influence your everyday life?
Being an engineer influences everything I do. I spend my free time designing, learning and practicing the skills I use at work. I continue to learn about how things are made and get hands- on when familiarizing myself with tools like mills, lathes and 3D printers. For instance, I made a 3D model of my house, which comes in handy when explaining proposed upgrades to my wife.
