Lessons from Josh Waitzkin

Josh Waitzkin, a chess prodigy who became the subject of the book and film "Searching for Bobby Fischer," and later a world champion in Tai Chi Chuan Push Hands, has dedicated his life to the art of learning and performance. Through his book, "The Art of Learning," and various interviews, he has shared a wealth of knowledge on achieving excellence.

On the Nature of Growth and Excellence

"The key to pursuing excellence is to embrace an organic, long-term learning process, and not to live in a shell of static, safe mediocrity. Usually, growth comes at the expense of previous comfort or safety." [1][2]
"Growth comes at the point of resistance. We learn by pushing ourselves and finding what really lies at the outer reaches of our abilities." [3][4]
"It is rarely a mysterious technique that drives us to the top, but rather a profound mastery of what may well be a basic skill set." [2][5]
"Depth beats breadth any day of the week, because it opens a channel for the intangible, unconscious, creative components of our hidden potential." [3]
"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." [2]
"The moment we believe that success is determined by an ingrained level of ability as opposed to resilience and hard work, we will be brittle in the face of adversity." [5][6]
"Very gifted people, they win and they win, and they are told that they win because they are a winner. That seems like a positive thing to tell children, but ultimately, what that means is when they lose, it must make them a loser." [5][6]
"I have never considered myself a prodigy. Others have used that term, but I never bought in to it." [6]
"The truth is that throughout my careers in both chess and the martial arts, I often knew that my rivals were more naturally gifted than me... But I have believed in my training, my approach to learning, and my ability to rise to the challenge under pressure." [6]
"There are many paths to greatness. Each one of these guys who's really world class is doing it his way and he's harnessing his eccentricities." [7]

On Mindset and Mental Resilience

"Mental resilience is arguably the most critical trait of a world-class performer, and it should be nurtured continuously." [1][4]
"When uncomfortable, my instinct is not to avoid the discomfort but to become at peace with it." [4]
"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." [1][4]
"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." [1][3]
"Let setbacks deepen your resolve. You should always come off an injury or a loss better than when you went down." [1][2]
"The most heartbreaking devastating moments ultimately were the ones that catalyzed the most growth." [8]
"Instead of running from our emotions or being swept away by their initial gusts, we should learn to sit with them, become at peace with their unique flavors, and ultimately discover deep pools of inspiration." [3]
"A man wants to walk across the land, but the earth is covered with thorns. He has two options - one is to pave his road, to tame all of nature into compliance. The other is to make sandals. Making sandals is the internal solution." [5]
"One idea I taught was the importance of regaining presence and clarity of mind after making a serious error." [1][9]
"Expectations are limitations." [4]

On the Learning Process

"The real art in learning takes place as we move beyond proficiency, when our work becomes an expression of our essence." [9]
"At the very core of my relationship to learning is the idea that we should be as organic as possible. We need to cultivate a deeply refined introspective sense, and build our relationship to learning around our nuance of character." [6]
"Expertise comes in layers. First simple themes are considered, studied and practised, forming a layer of knowledge. Then progressively more complex themes are studied, creating further layers on top." [10]
"Start with the absolute fundamentals. Waitzkin's journey to becoming a chess expert began by studying the absolute fundamentals of chess strategy. His first chess coach started by training him with just three pieces on the table – king versus pawn and king." [10]
"The study of numbers to leave numbers.' In essence this refers to mastering a discipline to the extent that it becomes intuitive, or second nature." [11]
"I was unhindered by internal conflict – a state of being that I have come to see as fundamental to the learning process." [3]
"There will be nothing learned from any challenge in which we don't try our hardest." [3]
"One of the main focuses of my training sessions is to help individuals find their unique voices in the learning process. We all have our strengths, our weaknesses, our styles of learning, our personalities." [6]
"I think of learning as unobstructed self-expression." [12]
"You have to make obstacles spur you to creative new angles in the learning process." [13]

On Presence and Intuition

"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... Presence must be like breathing." [1][3]
"Everyone at a high level has a huge amount of chess understanding, and much of what separates the great from the very good is deep presence, relaxation of the conscious mind, which allows the unconscious to flow unhindered." [3]
"Not only do we have to be good at waiting, we have to love it. Because waiting is not waiting, it is life." [3][5]
"In my opinion, intuition is our most valuable compass in this world. It is the bridge between the unconscious and the conscious mind, and it is hugely important." [14]
"He explains that he achieves his speed by training his intuition. His method is to break the moves down into their component parts and practise them endlessly until they become second nature." [15]
"The only thing we can really count on is getting surprised. No matter how much preparation we do, in the real tests of our lives, we'll be in unfamiliar terrain." [1]
"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." [5]
"In chess you might find a good move. Then you might find a better move. But take your time. Find the best move." [5]
"One of the most critical strengths of a superior competitor in any discipline...is the ability to dictate the tone of the battle." [2]
"We do not rise to the level of our hopes we fall to the level of our training." [16]

On Interconnectedness and Principles

"I tend not to dwell on the parallels between chess and business, chess and the martial arts, or any two things for that matter, because the truth is that all pursuits are connected if we gain an eye for the thematic links." [5][6]
"Lateral thinking or thematic thinking – the ability to take a lesson from one thing and transfer it over – I think is one of the most important disciplines that any of us can cultivate or ways of being." [14]
"People who are at the pinnacles of different arts are often doing things that are much more similar than people who are in the same art as them but at lower levels." [8]
"A core part of how I train people is around the interplay of themes or principles and habits. The habits are what we can actually train at. The principle is what we're trying to embody." [7]
"In most everyday life experiences, there seems to be a tangible connection between opposites... Who knows water like a man dying of thirst? The human mind defines things in relation to one another — without light the notion of darkness would be unintelligible." [13][17]
"It's such a beautiful, incredible principle. Most people think they can wait around for the big moments to turn it on. But if you don't cultivate turning it on as a way of life in the little moments... then there's no chance in the big moments." [14]
"Doing less is a huge part of doing much more." [8]
"My coach and my parents both had this relationship to what I was doing, which was allowing me to express myself with chess. And so I could love it. I had a passion for it." [6]
"Aim to do at least one uncomfortable thing per day in the pursuit of learning." [18]
"I believe in pushing my boundaries as a way of life." [18]

Learn more:

Lessons from Josh Waitzkin

On the Nature of Growth and Excellence

On Mindset and Mental Resilience

On the Learning Process

On Presence and Intuition

On Interconnectedness and Principles

Written by Antoine Buteau

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