The inner game
ideas mostly from Timothy Gallway's book "The Inner Game of Tennis"
Flow, and thus optimal performance, comes when the mind is quiet.
There are two selves: Self 1, your thinking conscious self; and Self 2, your automatic unconscious self.
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Self 2 believes what you tell it (e.g. "you're bad at this" becomes reality)
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Judgment by Self 1 (assigning a good/bad valence) is what derails you from flow
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Lead with awareness and feeling instead of thinking
- fine-tuning awareness—with your eye on the ball, "where is the racket?" (soccer: "where is the goal?")
Self 2 learns visually; visual is much more fundamental than verbal
Self 1 must trust Self 2. Self 1 sets the objective, and trusts self 2 to get there. Visualize the outcome, and trust self 2 to get you there.
Intentionally trying to execute (use certain muscle groups, etc.) results in using the wrong combination, tightening/relaxing too much/little.