The Tim Ferriss Show

chevron_right

#412: Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Self

whatshot 149 snips

Feb 27, 2020

Guest

Josh Waitzkin

Josh Waitzkin, an accomplished author and champion in chess and martial arts, dives into the art of learning and mastery. He shares insights on embracing a beginner's mindset while exploring new disciplines like paddle surfing and foil boarding. The conversation highlights the importance of feedback loops in performance and how personal experiences shape our values. Waitzkin also discusses the power of empathy in coaching and the significance of resilience through learning to fall safely. His reflections are as profound as they are inspiring.

01:23:15

forum

Ask episode

web_stories

AI Snips

view_agenda

Chapters

menu_book

Books

auto_awesome

Transcript

info_circle

Episode notes

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Reunion and Reflection

Josh Waitzkin and Maurice Ashley, close friends and chess training partners, reunited after 20 years.
They discussed how their perspectives on chess strategy and learning had evolved, revealing changed assumptions.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Impractical Position

Waitzkin recalled a disagreement with Ashley about studying an unusual chess position arising from three mistakes.
Waitzkin initially dismissed it as impractical, but later recognized the value of studying dynamic, unusual positions.

insights

INSIGHT

Foiling and Frictionless Learning

Foiling allows riders to move faster on bigger waves by lifting the board above surface chop.
Josh Waitzkin connects this to the principle of unobstructed self-expression in learning.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Reflections on Learning and Mastery

04:03 • 9min

chevron_right

Foiling Through Experience and Resilience

12:35 • 15min

chevron_right

The Journey of Mastery: A New Perspective

27:07 • 21min

chevron_right

The Power of Feedback Loops

48:01 • 18min

chevron_right

Unconventional Skill Mastery

01:06:17 • 8min

chevron_right

Empathy in Coaching and Teaching Strategies

01:14:14 • 5min

chevron_right

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

01:19:21 • 5min

chevron_right

The art of learning

An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance

Josh Waitzkin

The Art of Learning takes readers through Josh Waitzkin’s unique journey to excellence in both chess and Tai Chi Chuan. The book explains how a well-thought-out, principled approach to learning separates success from failure. Waitzkin discusses how achievement is a function of a lifestyle that fuels a creative, resilient growth process. He shares his methods for systematically triggering intuitive breakthroughs, honing techniques, and mastering performance psychology. The book also emphasizes the importance of embracing defeat, making mistakes work for you, and turning weaknesses into strengths. It is divided into sections that cover his rise in chess, his transition to Tai Chi, and the similarities in preparation and execution between the two disciplines.

The 4-Hour Body

An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman

Tim Ferriss

In 'The 4-Hour Body,' Tim Ferriss shares the results of over a decade of self-experimentation and research, involving hundreds of elite athletes, dozens of MDs, and thousands of hours of personal testing. The book covers more than 50 topics, including how to lose weight quickly, gain muscle without steroids, sleep less and perform better, and improve sexual health. Ferriss emphasizes the importance of finding the smallest changes that produce the biggest results, making it accessible for readers to achieve significant improvements in their physical health and performance.

Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Self | Brought to you by Helix Sleep and Athletic Greens.

"I think of learning as unobstructed self-expression." — Josh Waitzkin

Josh Waitzkin, author of The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance, is an eight-time national chess champion, a two-time world champion in Tai Chi Chuan Push Hands, and the first Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under nine-time world champion Marcelo Garcia.

For the past 12 years, Josh has been channeling his passion for the outer limits of the learning process toward training elite mental performers in business and finance and to revolutionizing the education system through his nonprofit foundation, The Art of Learning Project. Josh is currently in the process of taking on his fourth and fifth disciplines, paddle surfing and foiling, and is an all-in father and husband.

Please enjoy!

This podcast is brought to you by Helix Sleep. I started sleeping on a Helix in 2017, and they’ve been one of my top choices for mattresses ever since. Take their two-minute sleep quiz, and based on body type and how you sleep, their algorithm will identify and match you to your perfect mattress.

Helix Sleep offer a 100-night trial and free shipping and returns. They’re manufactured in the USA, and because they ship it directly to you and cut out high-margin middlemen, they cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars less than comparable mattress-store options. To personalize your sleep experience, visit Helixsleep.com/TIM and you'll receive up to $125 off your custom mattress.

This podcast is also brought to you by Athletic Greens. I’m often asked: “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually Athletic Greens, which I consider my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body and did not get paid to do so. I often take it in the mornings and travel with it to minimize the likelihood of getting sick. Though I always focus on whole foods first, Athletic Greens covers my bases if I can’t get everything I need through meals.

As a listener of The Tim Ferriss Show, you'll get a free 20-count travel pack (valued at $79) with your first order at AthleticGreens.com/tim.

***

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests.

For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.

Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.

For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.

Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Please fill out the form at tim.blog/sponsor.

Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.

Follow Tim:

Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss

Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss

Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss

YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss

Past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Home Top podcasts Popular guests