Quiet and Reflection Support Effective Action
“Great chess players are like two people in one — the person playing and the person analyzing the person playing. They develop the discipline of asking themselves a series of questions not just after every game but after every move.”
Bruce Grierson in “The Best Habit of All: Self-Correction“
This is also a useful method for improving your negotiation skills, interviewing skills, and ability to collaborate effectively . Because it’s very hard to be both “in the moment” thinking hard and observing yourself a “workout buddy” or partner can observe aspects of a situation that you may overlook. I blogged about the value of reflection in
- Planning and Reflection
- Organizing Your Experiment Log
- Record to Remember, Pause to Reflect
- When Exploring, Keep a Log
“Play the board, not the player, unless you know something about the player.”
Bruce Pandolfini
Capabilities vs. intent
- Intentions are fickle and subject to sudden change. Capabilities, by contrast, are relatively stable. They are the combined hardware, personnel, and doctrine that make up military forces. They have a substance to them which is countable and relatively certain.
Ian Sundstrom from https://cimsec.org/capability-intent-developing-strategy/ - distinguish between individual pieces and their capabilities, intention (collaborate / neutral / compete), methods – novel combinations
- unknowns
- Intent, capability, opportunity – holistic risk assessment
- Nature as a player
- chance as a player
- “Master the principles so you can know when to break them.”
“The biggest mistake is to think you can’t make one.”
“Learn from your mistakes, especially not to repeat them.”
“Every win is first won in practice.”
“Bad players can play good moves by accident.”
“No one ever won by resigning.” - https://www.dialedinmen.com/chess-lessons-for-life/
“Build pockets of stillness into your life.”
Maria Popova (@brainpicker)
“7 Lessons From 7 Years”
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/10/23/7-lessons-from-7-years/
Low Hanging Fruit is not ripe
Psalm 23 for Busy People
The Lord is my pace-setter, I shall not rush;
he makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals,
he provides me with images of stillness,
which restore my serenity.
He leads me in the way of efficiency,
through calmness of mind,
and his guidance is peace.
Even though I have a great many things
to accomplish each day,
I will not fret, for his presence is here.
His timelessness, his all-importance
will keep me in balance.
He prepares refreshment and renewal
in the midst of activity,
by anointing my mind with his oils of tranquility
my cup of joyous energy overflows.
Surely harmony and effectiveness shall be
the fruits of my hours
and I shall walk in the pace of my Lord,
and dwell in his house for ever.
Toki Miyashina
From “Bless The Day,”
by June Cotner
Kodansha International, 1998
ht/ http://www.thereligionnetwork.com/MARCH_07/03-26-07NEWLOOKSATFAMILIARPRAYERS.html
also in http://www.amazon.com/Maybe-Tomorrow-Tony-Miles/dp/1853457671
ht/ http://sheridanvoysey.com/the-lord-is-my-pace-setter/