The Inner Game

Here is a quote for the blog entitled JSA Advising by Justin Anderson.

The Inner Game of Tennis, a 1970’s classic by author W. Timothy Gallwey, continues to remain one of the best sport psychology books ever written. With no disrespect towards the more contemporary sport psychologist’s who have written many impressive works in the past several decades, Gallwey (an ex-tennis pro) explains many of the inner workings of the mind in a simple yet powerful manner. And unlike the title suggests, The Inner Game of Tennis is a book that can crossover into any sport or performance zone… it’s not just for tennis players.
Gallwey starts off his book by looking at the big picture that affects each person and every game… no matter the forum. He opens the introduction with: “Every game is composed of two parts, an outer game and an inner game. The outer game is played against an external opponent to overcome the external obstacles, and to reach an external goal. Mastering this game is the subject of many books offering instructions on how to swing a racket, club, or bat and how to position arms, legs or torso to achieve the best results….It is the thesis of this book that neither mastery nor satisfaction can be found in the playing of any game without giving some attention to the relatively neglected skills of the inner game. This is the game that takes place in the mind of the player, and it is played against such obstacles as lapses in concentration, nervousness, self-doubt, and self-condemnation. In short, it is played to overcome all habits of mind which inhibit excellence in performance. “
It all starts with the mental game. Strengthening the mental muscle will take your external game to an entirely new level.

Timothy Gallwey’s website click : http://theinnergame.com/about-tim-gallwey/
Find the book at Amazon Books: http://www.amazon.com/Inner-Game-Tennis-Classic-Performance/dp/0679778314

Tags: JSA Advising, Justin Anderson, The Inner Game of Tennis, W. Timothy Gallwey

In an article entitled “7 Worst Career Mistakes You Can Make”, Jeffrey A. Krames, author “The Unforced Error: Why Some Managers Get Promoted while others Get Eliminated” quotes Tim Gallwey and on of the principles of The Inner Game. Here is the quote:

Tennis and business have a lot more common than you may think. In 1982, a tennis professional coined the term “unforced error” to describe what happens when one player who is in position to return the ball makes an error by hitting the ball out of the field of play — or missing the ball altogether. That same kind of error happens all of the time in the business world.

Research shows that even the smartest managers make the worst career errors. Once again, the same is true in tennis. Even the best players in the world make unforced errors in every match. In professional tennis as in business, the player with the fewest unforced errors usually wins.

Research also shows that at the top levels of corporations unforced errors have taken a greater toll than ever before. For example, CEO turnover is up 60 percent between 1995 and 2006 and shows no signs of slowing down (that according to a Booz Allen). However, you do not have to be a CEO to make a costly unforced error.

In my career of nearly three decades, I have had a front row seat to countless number of unforced errors in the workplace. Much to my surprise, I have witnessed egregious, stupid errors made by people I regarded as the smartest, most effective of colleagues.

So what kind of tennis mistakes also translates to your life and career? Consider the following:

Mistake No. 1: Always playing with a singles mindset
“Playing doubles,” alongside a partner, is more realistic than acting like the Lone Ranger who does everything on his own. There are some individuals — think of them as cowboys — who have no ability to delegate or work with colleagues. This could be a huge unforced error; given the complexity of today’s operating environment, every employee and manager can use all of the help he or she can get.

Mistake No. 2: Not facing reality at all times
Many great tennis players have wasted precious time arguing with referees insisting that the ref’s calls were wrong (think John McEnroe and Serena Williams). In business, the same phenomenon occurs all the time. For example, managers cannot come to terms with the fact that their latest new product is a failure and they pour more good money into bad chasing something that should have been abandoned.

Mistake No. 3: Not taking learning seriously enough
This is another problem that exists in both the tennis and business worlds. In tennis, one needs to put in the requisite practice hours to improve his or her game. John McEnroe felt that Ivan Lendl became the incredible champion he did through “sheer rehearsal.” In business, one needs to take learning just as seriously. Former GE CEO Jack Welch affirmed that when he said that it is the responsibility of every worker to find a better way of doing things.

Mistake No. 4: Not experimenting on a consistent basis
Celebrated tennis writer W. Timothy Gallwey once said, “Perfect strokes are already within us, waiting to be discovered.” Tennis great Billie Jean King explained that champions keep playing until they get it right.” In business, a perfect stroke might be a marketing presentation that wins a million dollar account, or a strategy presentation that that helps you to win that elusive promotion.

Mistake No. 5: Not being prepared at all times
Being prepared counts for a lot in business as it does in tennis. And unlike other traps, this one is entirely within your control. For example, if you go to a meeting and your boss asks you about a project that is your responsibility, can you give her up-to-date-information on the account? Do you know important deadlines? What landmines must you look out for? These are the kinds of things that a manager must be prepared to answer at all times.

Mistake No. 6: Not protecting your flanks
Tennis players need to see and be in command of the total court. In business, one needs to be in touch with all aspects of the game if they are going to have a good chance of success. Everyone is affected by turf wars and power plays that take place every day in your office. The key, says career expert Dr. Kathleen Reardon is that if you “choose any two competent people, the one who has political savvy, agility in the use of power, and the ability to influence [others] that will go further.”

Mistake No. 7: Not taking ownership of your part of the court
Not taking responsibility is another of those tricky unforced errors of omission. The mistake is not in something one does, but in something that one doesn’t. So this is an easy mistake to make and one of the more common of unforced errors. While you can’t control everything, step up and take more responsibility — within reason — whenever you can. If there is nobody addressing a problem that you notice or taking advantage of an opportunity that you identify, think about whether you should be doing it yourself.

Tags: Inner Game of Tennis, Jeffrey A. Krames, Perfect strokes, Tim Gallwey

In a recent interview with Frank De Blase, Maroon 5 guitarist James Valentine talks about his tennis game.

I wanna talk more about my tennis game.
Sure. How’s your tennis game coming along?
It’s coming along pretty good. I’ve been playing pretty much every day even when we were in Switzerland – they have beautiful clay courts over there.
Does it help your guitar playing?
I swear to God it does. There’s this book called “The Inner Game Of Tennis” that sort of set me on this idea. You know, on the court, just looking for the zone where you can just play effortlessly…and that’s what you’re looking to do on stage or in the studio
So when we see you on stage with an elbow brace, we’ll know why.
Yeah, exactly.

Tags: guitarist, InnerGameOfTennis, JamesValentine, Maroon5

Here is a news item about Tim Gallwey’s book, “The Inner Game of Stress” just released on August 18, 2009

The Inner Game of Stress

Renowned sports psychology expert W. Timothy Gallwey teams up with two esteemed physicians to offer a unique and empowering guide to mental health in today’s volatile world. The Inner Game of Stress applies the trusted principles of Gallwey’s wildly popular Inner Game series, which have helped athletes the world over, to the management of everyday stress–personal, professional, financial, physical–and shows us how to access our inner resources to maintain stability and achieve success.

Stress attacks every aspect of our well-being. Gallwey explains how negative self-talk undermines us, making us believe that pressure is inevitable and that other people’s expectations are paramount–which leaves us feeling helpless and unhappy. But as Gallwey shows, we have the means to build a shield against stress with our abilities to take childlike pleasure in learning new skills, to properly and healthily rest and relax, and to trust in our own good judgment. With his trademark mix of case histories and interactive worksheets, Gallwey helps us to tap into these inner strengths, giving us these invaluable tools:

• the STOP technique: Learn how to Step back, Think, Organize, and Proceed with a more conscious choice process, even in the most chaotic circumstances.
• the Attitude tool: If you’re feeling resentment, try gratitude.
• the Magic Pen: Develop the ability to open up your intuition and wisdom.
• the Transpose exercise: Imagine what the other person thinks, feels, wants–and develop empathy, kindness, and better relationship skills.
• the PLE triangle: Use your goals for Performance, Learning, and Experience to redefine success and enhance enjoyment.

Now you don’t have to be a champion athlete–or an athlete at all–to keep your life in perspective and your performance at its peak. A one-of-a kind guide, The Inner Game of Stress allows anyone to get in the game and win.

Here is the link for the eBook versions.

Tags: eBook, empowering guide, inner game of stress, Tim Gallwey, trusted principles

Somtimes, not matter how many times you have read The Inner Game of Tennis, you mind still wanders…
Are You and Yoga a Match?
Posted by John Branston

yoga karen moss

Yoga is hot. There is hard yoga, soft yoga, hot yoga designed to make you sweat, and even competitive yoga.

To those of us who have spent our athletic lives straining, lifting, grunting, running, jumping, or chasing a ball, this is very strange. Not that we aren’t envious.

When I see someone sitting on their heels or bending over and palming the floor I am as impressed as I am by that guy “Rubberman” who stuffs himself into a suitcase at Grizzlies games. Flexibility is a distant memory. My joints went into semi-retirement 15 years ago.

I also envy anyone with mental discipline. My mind still turns to moussaka sometimes when I have a crisis of confidence, no matter how much I practice or how many times I reread Tim Gallwey’s “Inner Game” books about Self One and Self Two.

The trick is finding the mental discipline to achieve mental discipline. And I think this is where yoga comes into the picture. Roy Bell, one of my squash partners, has been doing yoga for five years. At 52, he is the leanest and most flexible player in our group and is rarely injured.

Read the rest of the article here.

Tags: Yoga