The Art of Learning

This is my study notes for "The Art of Learning". all credits go to the author, Josh Waitzkin
and its respective owner.
The Art of Learning -- by Josh Waitzkin

Some good points

• endgame before opening -- build a solid foundation by studying position of reduced complexity. do not just learn the surface (chess opening)
  
• making smaller circles -- take a single technique or idea and practice it until we feel its essence.
  
• slowing down time -- focus on a select group of techniques and internalize them until the mind perceives them in tremendous detail. time is frozen.
  
• the power of presence -- real world is much tougher. to immune to the pain, learn how to maintain the tension; present must be like breathing.
• building your own trigger -- how to relax, then connect the mind to push yourself to the limit, then relax. visualize, and become a constant top performer.
  

Good quotes:

• presence must be like breathing -- everything is always on the line; always under pressure
• was he feeling nostalgic, energetic, cautious, dreary, impassioned, inspired, confident, insecure?
• counter - counter counter - counter counter counter (applied, how can I code faster? smarter?)
• creativity is always in relation to a foundation, like building a pyramid, how to connect to the sky?
• during the training, pushing myself to the absolute limit until nothing was left (code like there is no tomorrow)
• 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.
• there have been many years when leaving my New York life felt like career suicide -- my chess rivals were taking lessons and competing in every weekend tournament while I was on a boat crashing through big waves.
• I thrived under adversity
• each loss was a lesson, each win a thrill
• what it takes to be decent, what it takes to be good, what it takes to be great, and what it takes to be among the best. If I want to be the best, I have to take risks others would avoid.
• the goal was not winning, but, simply being
• build your own trigger; recovery, push yourself to limit for a period of time, then rest, then do it again.
• I practice 4 hours everyday.