Locking In 101

I need to get this assignment done. I’ve been procrastinating for weeks, and it’s due in six hours!

Lock in.

What is locking in? It is the concept of having absolute focus on the task at hand and exerting maximum effort into the task until completion.

Many people say “lock in” over the simplest things, such as FPS video games. This primarily occurs in high-stakes situations, where the player needs to perform well under pressure.

What are the steps needed to lock in properly? Anybody can say “let me lock in,” but most people will say that without going through the proper steps.

First, an individual must be aware of the situation and deem it necessary to lock in. Examples of where locking in is necessary is: competitive shenanigans, completing objectives [Ed. Note—this feels like it covers basically every situation in life], and studying.

Once you have found a situation deemed necessary to lock in, ensure that your environment is free of distractions. Put away any devices that may tempt you from finishing your lock-in process.

Now that you have a distraction-free environment, you must now set goals for your work or event. If it is to complete a school assignment you have been putting off for weeks, have a realistic goal about what you want to accomplish by a certain time period. For example: “I want to complete X and Y after 30 minutes.” It can also be something like snatching a clutch win in a 1v3 tactical shooter video game, but there, the goal is already given: you have to win. Having a goal helps you lock in because it gives you something measurable to reach, keeping you focused.

The most important part of locking in is exerting maximum effort into your task, which reuqires you to be extremely mindful of the situation. You want to be aware of what you are doing and all the aspects that go into it. Use mindfulness to facilitate your lock in process by understanding how you will complete it. Be present in other aspects as well; pay attention to the feelings and thoughts that rush through your mind and how they affect your workflow.

If you have followed these previous instructions, you will enter the state known as “flow.” Flow is the ability to effortlessly do work. Flow states are crucial to finishing any task, as they ensure maximum efficiency. Flow state is the ideal result you achieve after locking in: you can think of it as being 100% locked in.

Other things you can do to help reach the flow state would be to listen to music. Any music you like works great; just keep in mind that, for longer working periods, you should avoid heavily stimulating music, which can prevent you from reaching the flow state. Instead, seek out calm music. Classical and lo-fi are popular music genres used for studying. You could listen to the soothing sounds of nature, along with white noise, pink noise, etc. (There’s a lot of colors of noise, huh?)

Another important aspect would be understanding that doing tasks sequentially is significantly better than multitasking.

Please note that just because you are locked in, does not mean you are required to sit there to finish your task in one sitting, unless you are gaming. Getting a three-hour task completed in one sitting is difficult, but if you add occasional breaks and split the work into time intervals, your brain can rest and recharge the lock-in ability. (Yes, I am choosing to treat locking in as a video game ability or skill, including cooldown periods.)

Make sure to take care of yourself: always have water nearby and utilize breaks for snacking.

Now locking in for short bursts of time is different, and is commonly used in video games. Follow the same steps above, but proceed through them more swiftly; reaching flow state will more likely come from positive results, such as wins or successfully completing a quest.

In conclusion, proper lock in requires preparation. You must have a distraction free environment, goals in place, mindfulness of what you are doing and the ultimate goal is to reach flow state.

Now, you might be asking: was I locked in while writing this article? The answer is yes. The goal I had was to finish the article in thirty minutes, and if I didn’t, I would take a five-minute break afterward.