Page 161 - The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin_Neat plip book

Once you understand where you lie on thi s spect rum , the nex t step is to
become self-sufficient by creating your own ins pi ring condi tions . Kaspa rov

triggered his zone by acting confident and then creating the condi tions on the
chessboard and a dynamic with his oppo nen t in whi ch he pl ayed hi s be st.
Miller talked with Spike Lee until he go t fired up. When Spi ke wasn’t around,
Reggie still liked to play the bad guy. In fact he was at hi s very be st in the

playoffs on the road, competing in a stadium filled with hostile fans. If the fans
weren’t hostile, he might goad them into hating him. Reggi e thr ived as the
villain and triggered these conditions when ever he n eeded a boost.
But how do you play your best when ther e is no one around to pr ovide

motivation? There is no cookie-cutter mold to inspi ration. Ther e is, ho wever, a
process we can follow to discover our uni que path. Fi rst, we cul tivate The Soft
Zone, we sit with our emotions, observe them , work with them , learn ho w to
let them float away if they are rocking our boat, and how to use the m whe n

they are fueling our creativity. Then we tur n our weaknes ses into strengt hs
until there is no denial of our natur al erupt ions and ner ves shar pe n our ga me,
fear alerts us, anger funnels into focus. Next we di scover what emotiona l states
trigger our greatest performances. Thi s is trul y a personal ques tion. Some of us

will be most creative when ebullient , other s when morose. To each hi s own.
Introspect. Then Make Sandals, become your own earthquake, Spi ke Lee, or
tailing fastball. Discover what states work best for you and, like Kaspa rov,
build condensed triggers so you can pul l from your deepes t reservoirs of

creative inspiration at will.