There’s much to be said for being present to the moment — a state where you act skillfully yet spontaneously. It’s critical in high-pressure physical situations such as competitive sports or in a battle zone, but it’s also important in more prosaic work situations.
My tendency to overthink things has caused me to miss opportunities. Conversely, some of my best decisions happened somewhat impulsively. Not necessarily recklessly, but fast, confident, and smooth. It’s a great feeling, and one I aspire to embody more often.
That desire led me to Tim Gallwey’s, The Inner Game of Tennis. As suggested by the title, the book focuses on a particular sport. But its lessons apply more broadly, so the book has become a classic. In episode 17 of the Traction Heroes podcast, I read the following passage for Harry (emphasis in the original):
Reflect on the state of mind of a player who is said to be “hot” or “playing in the zone.” Is he thinking about how he should hit each shot? Is he thinking at all? Listen to the phrases commonly used to describe a player at his best: “He’s out of his mind”; “He’s playing over his head”; “He’s unconscious”; “He doesn’t know what he’s doing.” The common factor in each of these descriptions is that some part of the mind is not so active. Athletes in most sports use similar phrases, and the best of them know that their peak performance never comes when they’re thinking about it.
Clearly, to play unconsciously does not mean to play without consciousness. That would be quite difficult! In fact, someone playing “out of his mind” is more aware of the ball, the court and, when necessary, his opponent. But he is not aware of giving himself a lot of instructions, thinking about how to hit the ball, how to correct past mistakes or how to repeat what he just did. He is conscious, but not thinking, not over-trying.
This led to a discussion on how we might apply these ideas to gaining traction. Harry told a story about on a time when he got carried away in conversation and missed an important opportunity. I’m sure you’ll relate — this sort of thing happens to everyone. But we can do something about it.
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