Episode

#412: Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Self
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1:26:40
Published: Thu Feb 27 2020
Description

Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Self | Brought to you by Helix Sleep and Athletic Greens."I think of learning as unobstructed self-expression." — Josh WaitzkinJosh Waitzkin, author of The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance, is an eight-time national chess champion, a two-time world champion in Tai Chi Chuan Push Hands, and the first Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under nine-time world champion Marcelo Garcia.For the past 12 years, Josh has been channeling his passion for the outer limits of the learning process toward training elite mental performers in business and finance and to revolutionizing the education system through his nonprofit foundation, The Art of Learning Project. Josh is currently in the process of taking on his fourth and fifth disciplines, paddle surfing and foiling, and is an all-in father and husband.Please enjoy!This podcast is brought to you by Helix Sleep. I started sleeping on a Helix in 2017, and they’ve been one of my top choices for mattresses ever since. Take their two-minute sleep quiz, and based on body type and how you sleep, their algorithm will identify and match you to your perfect mattress.Helix Sleep offer a 100-night trial and free shipping and returns. They’re manufactured in the USA, and because they ship it directly to you and cut out high-margin middlemen, they cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars less than comparable mattress-store options. To personalize your sleep experience, visit Helixsleep.com/TIM and you'll receive up to $125 off your custom mattress.*This podcast is also brought to you by Athletic Greens. I’m often asked: “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually Athletic Greens, which I consider my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body and did not get paid to do so. I often take it in the mornings and travel with it to minimize the likelihood of getting sick. Though I always focus on whole foods first, Athletic Greens covers my bases if I can’t get everything I need through meals.As a listener of The Tim Ferriss Show, you'll get a free 20-count travel pack (valued at $79) with your first order at AthleticGreens.com/tim.***If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests.For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Please fill out the form at tim.blog/sponsor.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chapters
Tim Ferriss talks about his experience of optimizing his daily routine, which led him to get a new bed from Helix Sleep, a company that uses a sleep quiz to match your body type and sleep preferences to the perfect mattress.
00:00 - 01:34 (01:34)
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sleep optimization
Summary

Tim Ferriss talks about his experience of optimizing his daily routine, which led him to get a new bed from Helix Sleep, a company that uses a sleep quiz to match your body type and sleep preferences to the perfect mattress.

Episode
#412: Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Self
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
In this episode, Tim Ferriss promotes his popular email newsletter, 5 Bullet Friday, and his favorite supplement, Athletic Greens.
01:34 - 06:29 (04:55)
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Health
Summary

In this episode, Tim Ferriss promotes his popular email newsletter, 5 Bullet Friday, and his favorite supplement, Athletic Greens. He offers exclusive deals for first-time buyers of Athletic Greens and extends an invitation to subscribe to his newsletter as a weekly source of inspiration and education.

Episode
#412: Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Self
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Chess player turned mental performance coach and educator Joshua Waitzkin talks with Tim Ferriss about examining past assumptions and discovering shared constructs that may still be present in current beliefs.
06:29 - 11:49 (05:19)
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Joshua Waitzkin
Summary

Chess player turned mental performance coach and educator Joshua Waitzkin talks with Tim Ferriss about examining past assumptions and discovering shared constructs that may still be present in current beliefs.

Episode
#412: Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Self
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Josh Waitzkin talks about the early stages of learning a new technique for foiling, the frustration of idealism in competitive games and the importance of conceptual and thematic learning.
11:49 - 18:00 (06:11)
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Learning
Summary

Josh Waitzkin talks about the early stages of learning a new technique for foiling, the frustration of idealism in competitive games and the importance of conceptual and thematic learning.

Episode
#412: Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Self
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses learning how to navigate boils while foiling and volunteering at Zendo, a peer-supported harm reduction volunteer organization that helps individuals going through difficult drug or psychedelic experiences, at a festival called Lightning in a Bottle.
18:00 - 26:59 (08:58)
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Foiling, Zendo, Harm Reduction, Drug Experience
Summary

The speaker discusses learning how to navigate boils while foiling and volunteering at Zendo, a peer-supported harm reduction volunteer organization that helps individuals going through difficult drug or psychedelic experiences, at a festival called Lightning in a Bottle.

Episode
#412: Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Self
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The concept of learning principles instead of techniques and internalizing core principles have led to strange but effective surfing and foiling breakthroughs for some surfers.
27:01 - 35:21 (08:20)
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Conceptual Learning
Summary

The concept of learning principles instead of techniques and internalizing core principles have led to strange but effective surfing and foiling breakthroughs for some surfers.

Episode
#412: Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Self
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The host discusses the concept of seeking advice from the self twenty years ahead in time and how it can be helpful in achieving unobstructed self-expression or self-actualization in art through a surreal interaction between his younger self and his older self in a ski lodge.
35:21 - 41:23 (06:01)
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Self-Reflection
Summary

The host discusses the concept of seeking advice from the self twenty years ahead in time and how it can be helpful in achieving unobstructed self-expression or self-actualization in art through a surreal interaction between his younger self and his older self in a ski lodge.

Episode
#412: Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Self
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Tim Ferris discusses various methods such as visualization, biofeedback, triggers and provides interesting prompts to help achieve mental clarity and urgency.
41:23 - 50:49 (09:26)
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Mental Health
Summary

Tim Ferris discusses various methods such as visualization, biofeedback, triggers and provides interesting prompts to help achieve mental clarity and urgency.

Episode
#412: Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Self
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
In the world of chess, unlimited and accurate feedback loops through computers help great players be less conscious of cognitive biases such as sunk cost fallacy.
50:49 - 56:17 (05:28)
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cognitive biases
Summary

In the world of chess, unlimited and accurate feedback loops through computers help great players be less conscious of cognitive biases such as sunk cost fallacy. However, in fields like investing where feedback loops are less accurate, creativity in creating feedback loops is essential for success.

Episode
#412: Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Self
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The importance of feedback in training and the role of coaches and sparring partners in helping athletes improve is discussed with regards to the speaker's personal training experiences in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
56:17 - 1:02:12 (05:54)
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Sports Training
Summary

The importance of feedback in training and the role of coaches and sparring partners in helping athletes improve is discussed with regards to the speaker's personal training experiences in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Episode
#412: Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Self
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Brent Weinstein discusses the importance of surrounding oneself with diverse thinkers in order to stress-test assumptions, using examples from the worlds of investing, surfing, and jiu jitsu.
1:02:12 - 1:10:39 (08:27)
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Investing
Summary

Brent Weinstein discusses the importance of surrounding oneself with diverse thinkers in order to stress-test assumptions, using examples from the worlds of investing, surfing, and jiu jitsu.

Episode
#412: Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Self
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Thematic deconstruction is important in breaking down the learning process into core principles, creating "invisible" reps that are hidden in plain sight but can be trained through controlled ways such as cold plunging.
1:10:39 - 1:16:41 (06:01)
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Learning
Summary

Thematic deconstruction is important in breaking down the learning process into core principles, creating "invisible" reps that are hidden in plain sight but can be trained through controlled ways such as cold plunging. Surfing, for example, can be taught through individual pieces such as reading water, board positioning, and weight shifting, resulting in efficient and effective learning.

Episode
#412: Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Self
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Tim mentions a video of Maurice Ashley playing chess hustlers in New York City, which he will link in the show notes.
1:16:41 - 1:24:24 (07:43)
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Entertainment
Summary

Tim mentions a video of Maurice Ashley playing chess hustlers in New York City, which he will link in the show notes. He also promotes his weekly email newsletter, Five Bullet Friday, and an interview with organizational psychologist Robert Kegan.

Episode
#412: Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Self
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The podcast includes ads for Athletic Greens, with a free travel pack for first time users, and Helix Sleep, with a quiz to match your body type and sleep preferences to the perfect mattress.
1:24:24 - 1:26:24 (01:59)
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advertisement
Summary

The podcast includes ads for Athletic Greens, with a free travel pack for first time users, and Helix Sleep, with a quiz to match your body type and sleep preferences to the perfect mattress.

Episode
#412: Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Self
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show