My Rating: 8 of 10
Summary
An excellent book in the philosophy of learning, high performance, and being a competitor. These notes are worth going through any time you’re embarking on new competition or new venture… it shows you the mindset to be a top competitor and ways to think about the proceeds.
I read this when I was working as an assistant at a literary management company and studying lit contracts, so that’s where a lot of my notes go. Will be interesting to revisit this and think about how it applies to my new ventures and new competitive pursuits.
Not necessarily a knock on the book, but after seeing a few interviews with Josh, there seems to be a disconnect between Josh’s writing and his personality, e.g. he’s much more down to earth (and swears a lot more) than you’d think based on the book.
Notes
Josh’s Early Days of Chess
In my experience, successful people shoot for the stars, put their hearts on the line in every battle, and ultimately discover that the lessons learned from the pursuit of excellence mean much more than the immediate trophies and glory.
LOCATION: 938
Rewind to those days when I was a six-year-old prankster. Once he had won my confidence, Bruce began our study with a barren chessboard. We took on positions of reduced complexity
LOCATION: 946
There is a vast body of theory that begins from the starting position of all chess games, and it is very tempting to teach children openings right off the bat, because built into this theoretical part of the game there are many imbedded traps, land mines that allow a player to win quickly and easily—in effect, to win without having to struggle to win.
At first thought, it seems logical for a novice to study positions that he or she will see all the time at the outset of games. Why not begin from the beginning, especially if it leads to instant success?
The answer is quicksand. Once you start with openings, there is no way out. Lifetimes can be spent memorizing and keeping up with the evolving Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO). They are an addiction, with perilous psychological effects.
LOCATION: 956
if you were brave. These kids talk about the 4 move mate and ask each other, “How many moves did it take you to win”? Chess becomes one-dimensional—winning and winning fast.
NOTE: when you just focus on results not process you are not building the necessary skills
LOCATION: 964
we are often our own parent in the moment. How can we balance long-term process with short-term goals and inevitable setbacks? Let’s dive in. Danny is an intelligent boy who has decided to dedicate himself for the time being to chess. He loves the challenge of facing off
LOCATION: 1064
The key, in my opinion, is to recognize that the beauty of those roses lies in their transience. It is drifting away even as we inhale. We enjoy the win fully while taking a deep breath, then we exhale, note the lesson learned, and move on to the next adventure.
LOCATION: 1073
Performance Training Notes
In performance training, first we learn to flow with whatever comes. Then we learn to use whatever comes to our advantage. Finally, we learn to be completely self-sufficient and create our own earthquakes, so our mental process feeds itself explosive
LOCATION: 1166
regaining presence and clarity of mind after making a serious error. This is a hard lesson for all competitors and performers. The first mistake rarely proves disastrous, but the downward spiral of the second, third, and fourth error creates a devastating chain reaction.
NOTE: this applies to poker, career, life
LOCATION: 1263
Your heart starts to pound because of the disconcerting chasm between what was and what is.
NOTE: don’t get stuck here. what was no longer what is you have to let go of emotional attachment
LOCATION: 1274
So if you have an advantage, make an error, and then still cling to the notion that you have an advantage, then when you calculate a variation that looks equal, you will reject that line of thought because you incorrectly believe it is moving you in the wrong direction. What results is a downward spiral where the foundering player rejects variations he should accept, pushing, with hollow overconfidence, for more than there is. At a high level, pressing for wins in equal positions often results in losing.
LOCATION: 1276
Her reaction was a perfect parallel to the chess player’s downward spiral—after making an error, it is so easy to cling to the emotional comfort zone of what was, but there is also that unsettling sense that things have changed for the worse.
The clear thinker is suddenly at war with himself and flow is lost. I have always visualized two lines moving parallel to one another in space. One line is time, the other is our perception of the moment. I showed my students these lines with my hands, moving through the air. When we are present to what is, we are right up front with the expansion of time, but when we make a mistake and get frozen in what was, a layer of detachment builds.
Time goes on and we stop. Suddenly we are living, playing chess, crossing the street with our eyes closed in memory. And then comes the taxicab. That chess lesson was surely the most emotional I’ve ever taught.
LOCATION: 1313
This was the work that I referred to in the Introduction as numbers to leave numbers . Usually long study sessions went like this: I began with the critical position from one of my games, where my intuitive understanding had not been up to the challenge. At first my mind was like a runner on a cold winter morning—stiff, unhappy about the coming jog, dreary. Then I began to move, recalling my attacking ideas in the struggle and how nothing had fully connected.
NOTE: this is what cal newport talks about. where are the application in negotiations in blogging in writing in selling in hw. break down the technical so you can understand at the intuitive.the thing is that this shit takes time you need to sit down and analyze how much time do you have for this
LOCATION: 1382
A fascinating offshoot of this method of analysis was that I began to see connections between the leaps of chess understanding and my changing vision of the world. During my study of the critical positions, I noted the feeling I had during the actual chess game.
LOCATION: 1395
Once I recognized that deeply buried secrets in a competitor tend to surface under intense pressure, my study of chess became a form of psychoanalysis. I unearthed my subtlest foibles through chess, and the link between my personal and artistic sides was undeniable.
NOTE: true with poker as well
LOCATION: 1415
becoming a conscious high performer is the degree to which your relationship to your pursuit stays in harmony with your unique disposition. There will inevitably be times when we need to try new ideas, release our current knowledge to take in new information—but it is critical to integrate this new information in a manner that does not violate who we are.
LOCATION: 1454
Just as the yin-yang symbol possesses a kernel of light in the dark, and of dark in the light, creative leaps are grounded in a technical foundation.
NOTE: Everything great starts first in the technical foundation. You can’t skip steps. You have to have a technical foundation first before you can learn to work without technique.
LOCATION: 1523
Investment In Loss
In order to grow, he needs to give up his current mind-set. He needs to lose to win. The bruiser will need to get pushed around by little guys for a while, until he learns how to use more than brawn. William Chen calls this investment in loss.
LOCATION: 1734
For example, in my chess career I didn’t realize I was faltering in transitional moments until many months of study brought the pattern to light. So the aim is to minimize repetition as much as possible, by having an eye for consistent psychological and technical themes of error.
LOCATION: 1749
A gifted boxer with a fabulous right and no left will get beat up while he tries to learn the jab. Or take the talented high school basketball player learning how to play point guard at the college level. He may have been able to dominate schoolyards in his past, but now he has to learn to see the whole court, share the ball, bring the best out of his teammates. If a young athlete is expected to perform brilliantly in his first games within this new system, he will surely disappoint.
NOTE: same with any new job or position. same with blogging same with writing and assisting and learning hw
LOCATION: 1803
We must take responsibility for ourselves, and not expect the rest of the world to understand what it takes to become the best that we can become. Great ones are willing to get burned time and again as they sharpen their swords in the fire.
NOTE: the same thing as david de talking about butterfly out of his cocoon
LOCATION: 1814
What made him the greatest was not perfection, but a willingness to put himself on the line as a way of life.
NOTE: about michael jordan
LOCATION: 1818
pursuit of excellence. The theme is depth over breadth. The learning principle is to plunge into the detailed mystery of the micro in order to understand what makes the macro tick. Our
LOCATION: 1831
This method is similar to my early study of chess, where I explored endgame positions of reduced complexity—for example king and pawn against king, only three pieces on the board—in order to touch high-level principles such as the power of empty space, zugzwang (where any move of the opponent will destroy his position), tempo, or structural planning. Once I experienced these principles, I could apply them to complex positions because they were in my mental framework.
NOTE: what is the mental framework in contracts. what are you really trying to do when negotiating. what are the finer most important points always take a point of logic what is the simple that translates to the complex. structure deals so it has a what…
LOCATION: 1859
A parallel would be a trained singer who, through years of practice, knows what the notes feel like vibrating inside. Then she is giving a concert in a big venue and the sound system is a nightmare. From onstage, she can’t hear herself at all—a surprisingly common occurrence. The great performer can deliver a virtuoso performance without hearing a thing, because she knows how the notes should feel coming out, even if her primary monitor—her ears—are temporarily unavailable.
LOCATION: 1905
The Practice Of Making Small Circles
Now I begin to slowly, incrementally, condense my movements while maintaining that feeling . Instead of a big wind-up in the hips, I coil a little less, and then I release the punch. While initially I may have thrown my straight from next to my ear, now I gradually inch my hand out, starting the punch from closer and closer to the target—and I don’t lose power! The key is to take small steps, so the body can barely feel the condensing practice. Each little refinement is monitored by the feeling of the punch, which I gained from months or years of training with the large,
LOCATION: 1909
The British star Michael Adams might be the clearest case in point. His pieces are often on the flanks and he appears to casually give opponents central dominance—and yet he wins. The secret behind this style of play is a profound internalization of the principles behind central domination. Michael Adams knows how to control the center without appearing to have anything to do with the center. He has made the circles so small, even Grandmasters cannot see them.
NOTE: when i study the information its not enough to memorize you have to internalize why something went the way it did. why was this option this much why settle for that amountwhy ask for this
LOCATION: 1921
that there are three critical steps in a resilient performer’s evolving relationship to chaotic situations. First, we have to learn to be at peace with imperfection. I mentioned the image of a blade of grass bending to hurricane-force winds in contrast to a brittle twig snapping under pressure. Next, in our performance training, we learn to use that imperfection to our advantage—for example thinking to the beat of the music or using a shaking world as a catalyst for insight. The third step of this process, as it pertains to performance psychology, is to learn to create ripples in our consciousness, little jolts to spur us along, so we are constantly inspired whether or not external conditions are inspiring.
LOCATION: 1959
Concrete and Abstract
mental framework. The importance of undulating between external and internal (or concrete and abstract; technical and intuitive) training applies to all disciplines, and unfortunately the internal tends to be neglected. Most intelligent NFL players, for example, use the off-season to look at their schemes more abstractly, study tapes, break down aerial views of the field, notice offensive and defensive patterns. Then, during the season they sometimes fall into tunnel vision, because the routine of constant pain requires every last bit of reserves.
NOTE: how do you build time into rebuilding your mental game every quarter. career creative network personal reflect adjust work on the mental game then plunge back in
LOCATION: 1988
This new perspective opened up a whole new vision of martial intercourse. I realized that whenever I could control two of his limbs with one of mine, I could easily use my unoccupied arm for free-pickings. Today, techniques around this idea are a staple in my competitive martial style.
LOCATION: 2005
Whether speaking of a corporate negotiation, a legal battle, or even war itself, if the opponent is temporarily tied down qualitatively or energetically more than you are expending to tie it down, you have a large advantage. The key is to master the technical skills appropriate for applying this idea to your area of focus.
NOTE: how does this apply to contracts and negotiations
LOCATION: 2011
How to Become A Top Competitor
One thing I have learned as a competitor is that there are clear distinctions between what it takes to be decent, what it takes to be good, what it takes to be great, and what it takes to be among the best. If your goal is to be mediocre, then you have a considerable margin for error. You can get depressed when fired and mope around waiting for someone to call with a new job offer.
NOTE: if you want to be the best the nothing stops you from continuing to hone your skill
LOCATION: 2026
If I want to be the best, I have to take risks others would avoid, always optimizing the learning potential of the moment and turning adversity to my advantage.
LOCATION: 2034
process. Let setbacks deepen your resolve. You should always come off an injury or a loss better than when you went down. Another angle on this issue is the unfortunate correlation for some between consistency and monotony.
NOTE: why didnt i get the ramit invitehow could drinks have gotten betterfailure doesnt exist if you use each failure to learn
LOCATION: 2037
Once we learn how to use adversity to our advantage, we can manufacture the helpful growth opportunity without actual danger or injury. I call this tool the internal solution —we can notice external events that trigger helpful growth or performance opportunities, and then internalize the effects of those events without their actually happening. In this way, adversity becomes a tremendous source of creative inspiration.
LOCATION: 2045
mastery—you start with the fundamentals, get a solid foundation fueled by understanding the principles of your discipline, then you expand and refine your repertoire, guided by your individual predispositions, while keeping in touch, however abstractly, with what you feel to be the essential core of the art.
LOCATION: 2081
chunking relates to the mind’s ability to take lots of information, find a harmonizing/logically consistent strain, and put it together into one mental file that can be accessed as if it were a single piece of information.
LOCATION: 2098
When confronted by a new chess position, initially I have to plod through the variations. During this process, I discover organizing principles and new patterns of movement. This new information gets systematized into a network of chunks that I can access with increasing ease as my navigational function improves.
NOTE: the way it is with contracts.understand the numbers understand principles behind getting the number show everything is organized the language around the numbers the principles behind the language differen forms of contracts and different situations
LOCATION: 2104
Now, let’s turn to the learning of chess and see how these functions really operate. We will start with day one. The first thing I have to do is to internalize how the pieces move. I have to learn their values. I have to learn how to coordinate them with one another. Early on, these steps might seem complex.
NOTE: same with contracts break down into pieces of deals and compare
LOCATION: 2107
Soon enough, learning becomes unlearning. The stronger chess player is often the one who is less attached to a dogmatic interpretation of the principles. This leads to a whole new layer of principles—those that consist of the exceptions to the initial principles.
NOTE: that is why it takes a long time to master you must break down and study. it requires a time investment. choose with intention.
LOCATION: 2133
In every discipline, the ability to be clearheaded, present, cool under fire is much of what separates the best from the mediocre.
LOCATION: 2478
The secret is that everything is always on the line. The more present we are at practice, the more present we will be in competition, in the boardroom, at the exam, the operating table, the big stage. If we have any hope of attaining excellence, let alone of showing what we’ve got under pressure, we have to be prepared by a lifestyle of reinforcement. Presence must be like breathing.
LOCATION: 2486
The physiologists 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. Players who are able to relax in brief moments of inactivity are almost always the ones who end up coming through when the game is on the line. This is why the eminent tennis players of their day, such as Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras, had those strangely predictable routines of serenely picking their rackets between points, whether they won or lost the last exchange, while their rivals fumed at a bad call or pumped a fist in excitement.
LOCATION: 2564
At LGE, they made a science of the gathering and release of intensity, and found that, regardless of the discipline, the better we are at recovering, the greater potential we have to endure and perform under stress.
LOCATION: 2582
But how do we learn to let go? It is much easier to tell someone to relax than to actually do it on the free-throw line in overtime of the NBA playoffs or in the moments before making a career-defining presentation. This is where the mind-body connection comes in.
LOCATION: 2584
What is more, physical flushing and mental clarity are very much intertwined. There was more than one occasion that I got up from the board four or five hours into a hugely tense chess game, walked outside the playing hall, and sprinted fifty yards or up six flights of stairs. Then I’d walk back, wash my face, and be completely renewed.
LOCATION: 2596
As we get better and better at releasing tension and coming back with a full tank of gas in our everyday activities, both physical and mental, we will gain confidence in our abilities to move back and forth between concentration, adrenaline flow, physical exertion (any kind of stress), and relaxation.
LOCATION: 2627
Not only do we have to be good at waiting, we have to love it. Because waiting is not waiting, it is life. Too many of us live without fully engaging our minds, waiting for that moment when our real lives begin. Years pass in boredom, but that is okay because when our true love comes around, or we discover our real calling, we will begin.
LOCATION: 2658
I believe an appreciation for simplicity, the everyday—the ability to dive deeply into the banal and discover life’s hidden richness—is where success, let alone happiness, emerges.
LOCATION: 2662
The first step I had to make was to recognize that the problem was mine, not Frank’s. There will always be creeps in the world, and I had to learn how to deal with them with a cool head. Getting pissed off would get me nowhere in life.
LOCATION: 2860
There were two components to this work. One related to my approach to learning, the other to performance. On the learning side, I had to get comfortable dealing with guys playing outside the rules and targeting my neck, eyes, groin, etc. This involved some technical growth, and
LOCATION: 2873
my father asked Garry how he would handle his lack of confidence in the next game. Garry responded that he would try to play the chess moves that he would have played if he were feeling confident. He would pretend to feel confident, and hopefully trigger the state. Kasparov was an intimidator over the board. Everyone in the chess world was afraid of Garry and he fed on that reality. If Garry bristled at the chessboard, opponents
LOCATION: 2972
For the final three months before Taiwan, I recorded all of Dan’s and my training sessions. Then, every night I would go home and study the tapes. This was valuable on a number of mundane levels. Watching yourself on video, you can spot tells or bad habits. You can refine your techniques by breaking down what works and what doesn’t. But the primary function the tapes had for me was very different.
LOCATION: 3145
would shrug and explain the principles behind the inspired move. This is why Grandmasters can play speed chess games that weaker masters wouldn’t understand in hundreds of hours of study: they have internalized such esoteric patterns and principles that breathtakingly precise decisions are made intuitively.
NOTE: this is the level to reach with whatevr book business or writing i chooe to take on
LOCATION: 3168
Then we have a leap that uses what we know to go one or two steps further. We make a discovery. Most people stop here and hope that they will become inspired and reach that state of “divine insight” again. In my mind, this is a missed opportunity. Imagine that you are building a pyramid of knowledge.
LOCATION: 3172
We have taken our pyramid of knowledge up one level and solidified a higher foundation for new leaps. After seven or eight weeks of this work, we had internalized a very tight network of martial arts techniques that were all the products of Dan’s and my most inspired moments. This became our championship arsenal. What we constructed was all new, highly personalized, and completely true to our individual strengths. And most of it was psychological. It was about getting in the opponent’s head, catching his rhythms, controlling his intention with subtle technical manipulation.
LOCATION: 3187
If I have learned anything over my first twenty-nine years, it is that we cannot calculate our important contests, adventures, and great loves to the end. The only thing we can really count on is getting surprised.
LOCATION: 3538