Table of Contents
Joshua Waitzkin is an American chess player, martial arts competitor, and author of The Art of Learning. He was recognized as a prodigy, and won the U.S. Junior Chess championship in 1993 and 1994 before becoming a world champion in Tai Chi. This book is his explanation of the principles underlying his learning process.
The Process and the Goals
“A competitor needs to be process-oriented, always looking for stronger opponents to spur growth, but it is also important to keep winning enough to maintain confidence. We have to release our current ideas to soak in new material, but not so much that we lose touch with our unique natural talents. Vibrant, creative idealism needs to be tempered by a practical, technical awareness.”
There are two types of philosophies related to optimizing your performance (this includes learning, skill development, and creative work).
One philosophy says that you should be goal-oriented, while the other says that you should be system-oriented. But the better answer is both.
If you are only goal-oriented, then you are too much affected by setbacks and defeats. If a win inflates your ego, a loss will deflate it. When you are too centered on results, then a string of bad results can push you off track.
The logic of a system-oriented approach is that you are insulated from the shock of defeat. But the problem here is a lack of focus. If you are not paying attention to short-term goals that are measurable and achievable, then you will fail to make real progress.
The combination of both approaches is necessary.
Smaller Circles
“The learning principle is to plunge into the detailed mystery of the micro in order to understand what makes the macro tick.”
It is hard to make smaller circles because we are oversupplied with information, and we are conditioned to constantly seek out new pieces of information, rather than fully internalize one subject at a time. It is the equivalent of the martial artist who learns many fancy forms, without mastering one, that will make the rest effective.
Using Adversity
There are three ways a resilient performer can improve his response to chaos.
- Learn to be at peace with imperfection (noisy environments, bad weather)
- Learn to use that imperfection to our advantage (earthquake)
- Learn to create little ripples on demand to spur focus or insight
To be the best at something, you must take risks others will avoid. You should allow setbacks to deepen your resolve, you should come off an injury or less better than before went down.
Because we desire consistency, we trap ourselves in monotony, which stifles creativity and growth. But when we learn to use adversity in our favor, then we engage ourselves in an opportunity to grow without an actual injury.
Searching for the Zone
Waitzkin had to learn, in addition to technical chess training, how to remain focused, and operate from a calm mental state for a long time. He struggled at first, but with time he learned how to have sustainable and healthy peak performance.
“The psychologists at LGE had discovered that in virtually every discipline, one of the most telling features of a dominant performer is the routine use of recovery periods.”
Crucial for a sustainable peak performance is rest. The better our ability to recover, the greater our potential in resistance or strength training.
For example, when lifting weights, you should rest for longer when lifting heavier weights.
By focusing on M.S.C. we can shrink the time needed to recover a great deal so that it can happen even in the midst of what an untrained person would consider chaos and action
“In performance training the first step to master the zone is to practice the ebb and flow of stress and recovery.”
When you learn to gather and release tension physically, you will become better at translating this in your work.
If you’re an entrepreneur and you want a quick guide to know what to think about before launching you business, check out The Myth of Entrepreneurship.