“We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.” – Archilochus

Ever since episode #2 of the podcast, you’ve been asking for more Josh Waitzkin, so here it is! This is an in-depth jam session, and you can definitely listen to this one independently.

Josh Waitzkin was the basis for the book and movie Searching for Bobby Fischer.

Considered a chess prodigy, he has perfected learning strategies that can be applied to anything, including his other loves of Brazilian jiu-jitsu (he’s a black belt under phenom Marcelo Garcia) and Tai Chi push hands (he’s a world champion). These days, he spends his time coaching the world’s top performers, whether Mark Messier, Cal Ripken Jr., or high-profile investors. I initially met Josh through his incredible book, The Art of Learning, which I loved so much that I helped produce the audiobook (download here at Audible).

If you’re interested in implementing programs designed by Josh in your classroom, go to theartoflearningproject.org and find out if the program is a good fit for you.

If you have just a few minutes, I recommend learning about the principle of scarcity and how it can directly benefit your life.

This episode is DEEP, in the best way possible. Just like last time, Josh will blow your mind.

Enjoy!

#148: Josh Waitzkin, The Prodigy Returns https://rss.art19.com/episodes/f4ed4dad-2631-4a72-888c-7daac8cfe7fa.mp3 Download

Listen to it on iTunes.

Stream by clicking here.

Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

Want to hear another podcast with Josh Waitzkin? — In this episode (the second ever on The Tim Ferriss Show), we discuss The Art of Learning, what separates elite performers, and strategies for peak productivity (stream below or right-click here to download):

Episode 2: Joshua Waitzkin https://rss.art19.com/episodes/cf652463-9388-413e-a278-a108b29b8e2b.mp3 Download

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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: How can you use Josh’s principle of scarcity to improve creativity, habit creation, or your learning process? Please share your insights in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from this Episode

Show Notes

Josh Waitzkin’s terrifying experience with the Wim Hof method [9:27]

Explaining “flow” and how Josh Waitzkin uses it as therapy [15:22]

Describing a “flow state” and how to initiate one [17:59]

On cognitive biases [21:48]

Developing high level sensitivity and listening to your senses [27:09]

Strategies for on-boarding newcomers to mindfulness training [28:45]

On parenting [38:02]

Fixed perspectives and growth mindsets [47:53]

On training somatic sensitivity [50:35]

On mitigating the dangers of a fixed identity [55:43]

Marcelo Garcia and the principle of cultivating quality as a way of life [1:01:56]

Quality and presence in parenthood [1:05:51]

What is the fire walking process [1:09:03]

Transitioning physical visualization techniques learned from martial arts to less obvious physical activities (investing for example) [1:16:23]

The principle of slack [1:20:20]

The principle of scarcity in the learning process [1:24:41]

Josh Waitzkin’s daily journaling process [1:34:23]

Talking about thematic interconnectedness in the context of education [1:36:38]

Explaining The Art of Learning Project [1:45:41]

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The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than 500 million downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.