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April 19, 2020 - January 1, 2021
If ambition spells probable disappointment, why pursue excellence?
Dr. Carol Dweck, a leading researcher in the field of developmental psychology, makes the distinction between entity and incremental theories of intelligence.
learning theorists—are more prone to describe their results with sentences like “I got it because I worked very hard at it” or “I should have tried harder.”
step by step, incrementally, the novice can become the master.
Learning theorists, on the other hand, are given feedback that is more process-oriented. After doing well on an English essay, a little girl might be congratulated by her teacher with “Wow, great job Julie! You’re really becoming a wonderful writer! Keep up the good work!”
It is critical to realize that we can always evolve in our approaches to learning. Studies have shown that in just minutes, kids can be conditioned into having a healthy learning theory for a given situation.
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.
zugzwang (putting your opponent in a position where any move he makes will destroy his position).
understanding of how to transform axioms into fuel for creative insight.
short-term goals can be useful developmental tools if they are balanced within a nurturing long-term philosophy.
we should be allowed to smell the roses. 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.
Disappointment is a part of the road to greatness.
As adults, we have to take responsibility for ourselves and nurture a healthy, liberated mind-set.
Growth comes at the point of resistance.
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 inspirations without the need for outside stimulus.
if you are tense, with your fingers jammed in your ears and your whole body straining to fight off distraction, then you are in a Hard Zone that demands a cooperative world for you to function.
The alternative is for you to be quietly, intensely focused, apparently relaxed with a serene look on your face, but inside all the mental juices are churning. You flow with whatever comes, integrating every ripple of life into your creative moment. This Soft Zone is resilient,
Mental resilience is arguably the most critical trait of a world-class performer, and it should be nurtured continuously.
Sometimes all the kids needed was to take two or three deep breaths or splash cold water on their faces to snap out of bad states of mind.
avoiding the ripple effect of compounding errors had broad application.
