Josh Waitzkin

People haven't cultivated the art of deconstruction, which is an art that's very important. People haven't cultivated the art of loving training, which is a hugely important meta skill to learn. People haven't taken on all of the skills around physiological triggers, around changing one's physiological state at will. People haven't practiced visualization very intensely. There are all of these...

these skills that we can put together in order to train at a world-class level. But it takes patience and creativity and not just being subject to whatever else does, but being able to look expansively at everything.

these skills that we can put together in order to train at a world-class level. But it takes patience and creativity and not just being subject to whatever else does, but being able to look expansively at everything.

these skills that we can put together in order to train at a world-class level. But it takes patience and creativity and not just being subject to whatever else does, but being able to look expansively at everything.

Many ways my life is built around creating that space. And it's interesting, when I was playing chess, I experimented with studying chess from everywhere between 45 minutes a day to 16 hours a day to see where the sweet spot was. And what I came to was about four and a half hours a day. But that four and a half hours a day was like a 10 out of 10, like fucking just on fire.

Many ways my life is built around creating that space. And it's interesting, when I was playing chess, I experimented with studying chess from everywhere between 45 minutes a day to 16 hours a day to see where the sweet spot was. And what I came to was about four and a half hours a day. But that four and a half hours a day was like a 10 out of 10, like fucking just on fire.

Many ways my life is built around creating that space. And it's interesting, when I was playing chess, I experimented with studying chess from everywhere between 45 minutes a day to 16 hours a day to see where the sweet spot was. And what I came to was about four and a half hours a day. But that four and a half hours a day was like a 10 out of 10, like fucking just on fire.

And then the rest of the day became about cultivating those four and a half hours. And my life today has that kind of rhythm as well. And, you know, training, like I've spent many years working with people who are just brilliant in the investment space has been a really interesting way because it's a great laboratory because people are very driven. They want to, they're all in, they're motivated.

And then the rest of the day became about cultivating those four and a half hours. And my life today has that kind of rhythm as well. And, you know, training, like I've spent many years working with people who are just brilliant in the investment space has been a really interesting way because it's a great laboratory because people are very driven. They want to, they're all in, they're motivated.

And then the rest of the day became about cultivating those four and a half hours. And my life today has that kind of rhythm as well. And, you know, training, like I've spent many years working with people who are just brilliant in the investment space has been a really interesting way because it's a great laboratory because people are very driven. They want to, they're all in, they're motivated.

they'll take themselves on and it's a great place for me to over the last couple decades to like refine the art of training because I don't like solving for motivation that's one thing and I think part of that relates to that quirky dynamic from when I was seven that I described of always being the target and so never having Like not taking on my weaknesses was outside of my conceptual scheme.

they'll take themselves on and it's a great place for me to over the last couple decades to like refine the art of training because I don't like solving for motivation that's one thing and I think part of that relates to that quirky dynamic from when I was seven that I described of always being the target and so never having Like not taking on my weaknesses was outside of my conceptual scheme.

they'll take themselves on and it's a great place for me to over the last couple decades to like refine the art of training because I don't like solving for motivation that's one thing and I think part of that relates to that quirky dynamic from when I was seven that I described of always being the target and so never having Like not taking on my weaknesses was outside of my conceptual scheme.

And so in many ways, I don't – I haven't really had to struggle with motivation myself for better or worse. And I love working with people, partnering with people who are all in, who want to take themselves on. I don't love having to motivate people. And so a great laboratory for me is with people who have all sorts of problems, who might be obstructed but who are all in.

And so in many ways, I don't – I haven't really had to struggle with motivation myself for better or worse. And I love working with people, partnering with people who are all in, who want to take themselves on. I don't love having to motivate people. And so a great laboratory for me is with people who have all sorts of problems, who might be obstructed but who are all in.

And so in many ways, I don't – I haven't really had to struggle with motivation myself for better or worse. And I love working with people, partnering with people who are all in, who want to take themselves on. I don't love having to motivate people. And so a great laboratory for me is with people who have all sorts of problems, who might be obstructed but who are all in.

And, like, you're working with world-class investors, and, you know, they're grinding themselves out 14, 15, 16 hours a day. Doing less is a huge part of doing much more. And you start to see, like, they might be at, like, if you think about a 10 out of 10 as being, like, in terms of, like, when they're at their very best creatively, they could slip from, like, a 10 to a 2 and not even notice.

And, like, you're working with world-class investors, and, you know, they're grinding themselves out 14, 15, 16 hours a day. Doing less is a huge part of doing much more. And you start to see, like, they might be at, like, if you think about a 10 out of 10 as being, like, in terms of, like, when they're at their very best creatively, they could slip from, like, a 10 to a 2 and not even notice.

And, like, you're working with world-class investors, and, you know, they're grinding themselves out 14, 15, 16 hours a day. Doing less is a huge part of doing much more. And you start to see, like, they might be at, like, if you think about a 10 out of 10 as being, like, in terms of, like, when they're at their very best creatively, they could slip from, like, a 10 to a 2 and not even notice.

Right? And then you begin to cultivate an awareness of where one is in one's creative spectrum, right? And then you start to cultivate the art of stress and recovery and like amping oneself up and then releasing. And you see that the ability to turn it on is directly connected to the ability to turn it off, as you know.