In his book, The Art of Learning, Josh Waitzkin shares the principles of learning and performance that have allowed him to ascend to the top of both the chess and martial arts world. In essence, Waitzkin is an expert at learning — breaking down the systems and principles of learning that allow him to keep inner peace amidst all the chaos, master large disciplines from studying the minute details, and ascend to the top by directly confronting his greatest weaknesses.
Becoming at peace with distraction
As a child chess prodigy, Josh Waitzkin was a master of the German concept of Zugzwang, which is putting your opponent in a position where any move he makes will destroy his position. He did this by creating “chessic mayhem” and relying on his mental training to sort through the chaos more effectively than his opponents.