Invest In Losing

I am about half way through reading "The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance" and I am already bursting with takeaways. Written by Josh Waitskin, it is his story, from when he was eight years old and was the highest rated chess player in his age group in the US, through to adulthood where he became a world champion in competitive Tai Chi (yes, there is such a thing).

Strangely enough, the two disciplines merged together perfectly, particularly with the mental strengths he developed. He explains what he learned with exceptional clarity, and this book should be mandatory reading for anyone wanting to truly maximize their performance, in any sport or discipline.

One of the early takeaways dealt with an issue I have often fought with and that I see others struggling with almost daily on the court - losing.

So what follows is my take on Josh's thoughts on losing. Sorry, it is a bit of a lengthy read and it is NOT for the faint of heart - it is from a world champion in two disciplines, and it assumes you are truly in pursuit of world domination. Take what you can.

The Learning Process

Roughly paraphrased: The key to pursuing excellence is to embrace a long-term learning process. Successful people are shooting for the stars, they put their hearts on the line in every battle, and ultimately they discover that lessons learned from the pursuit of excellence mean much more than the immediate trophies and glory.

When Josh was young, from both educational and technical perspectives, he learned from the foundation up. He made sure he had a solid base of skills and knowledge to build on (pickleball readers take note). He started playing adult chess tournaments at 10 years old, and he had to adapt to learning differently - he wasn't playing children any longer, and the physical and mental challenges of 9 hour chess matches were enormous.

Lose and Learn

Again, roughly paraphrased: Those who are armed with a healthy attitude and are able to draw wisdom from every experience, good or bad, are the ones who make it down the road. Turn fear of failure into a passion for the game, so there are always things to learn. Love the game, love to learn; if winning is the only thing, you will be crushed by defeats along the way.

If nothing else, take this away: Turn failure into passion; love the game; love to learn.

Losing is Brutal

Again, roughly paraphrased: You must expose yourself to losing to move ahead. Loss analysis is a coping mechanism and an opportunity for growth: At what point did you start to lose? Why did that happen? How can you avoid it in the future? How can you prepare for the next time?

Do the analysis for wins as well: Focus on the process that got you there; enjoy the winning feeling; take a deep breath and exhale; note the lessons learned, and move on.

And take this away: Growth comes at the point of resistance. We learn by pushing ourselves and finding out what really lies at the outer reaches of our abilities. The only way to learn to swim is to get in the water.

Wishing you all good mental health this Christmas season. Ask Santa for the book.

See you on the court.

Michael
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