WORK LESS WEDNESDAY
WLW #170
š Hey Reader!
This is issueĀ #170Ā ofĀ Work Less Wednesday, where I share with youĀ 5 thingsĀ you should knowĀ about, inĀ 5 minutes or less. That leaves you with 10,075 other minutes this week.
š¾ 1. Book Iām Re-Reading – The Inner Game of Tennis
A few weeks ago, I got back into playing tennis.
On the court, I was discussing the psychology of tennis and was reminded of a book I read over a decade ago: āThe Inner Game of Tennis.ā
The book digs into āthe mental side of peak performance.ā
Not only is the book an exceptional book about tennis, it provides lessons that we can apply to life and business.
Hereās the big idea:
Thereās the outer game, which is the mechanical partāhow you hold the racket, keep your arm level on your backhand, and so on. Itās the part that most coaches and players tend to focus on. Gallwey acknowledged the importance of the outer game, but what he was really interested in, and what he thought was missing from most peopleās approach, was the Inner Game. āThis is the game that takes place in the mind of the player.ā
He goes on to say:
The Inner Game āis 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.ā
Our āInner Gameā is going on 24/7, not just on the court.
Here are 3 insights from the book:
- Focus on process, not outcome. You canāt control āwinningā; but you can execute the swing. Focus on the actions that are in your control, let the outcomes come naturally.
- Relaxed concentration. Peak performance is a combination of calm attention plus challenge. Create the conditions for deep work in your business: clear priorities, fewer simultaneous projects, protected focus time.
- Visualize desired outcomes and cues. Mental rehearsal primes action. Visualize the day that you want to have, the meeting you want to go well, the writing session you want to focus during.
š§± 2. Interesting Concept I Learned About This Week – Chestertonās Fence
Learned about this from David Goudetās article, āYou Were Born Into a Turning Point in History. What Will You Do With It?ā
Hereās the excerpt:
Thereās an interesting phenomenon often referred to as the “Chesterton’s Fence” principle:
It comes from G.K. Chestertonās idea:
If you find a fence in the middle of nowhere and donāt know why itās there, you shouldnāt remove it until you understand the reason it was put up in the first place.
Humans repeat this cycle many times:
- We create solutions for problems
- We forget about those problems
- Some years later, we wonder why that solution is in place
- We remove the solution
- We bring the problem back again
I think itās pretty clear this is playing out in a wide variety of ways in our modern life.
š 3. The Ultimate Classics Curriculum – St. Johnās College Great Books Reading List
This image went viral on social media recently and allegedly drove a ton of applications to St. Johnās College.
Turns out people are still interested in reading great books.
You can get the whole curriculum in PDF form here.
And hereās more info about the philosophy behind it.
š 4. This Made Me Laugh – South Park Clip About ChatGPT
āJust because something kisses your ass doesnāt mean it actually thinks you have good ideas.ā
š 5. More Things I’m Into This Week…
š§ Deep Work Album Iām Listening To – Music For Writers by Steve Gunn
š° Great Article – How To Tell If Something Is AI Written
š 12 Great Lessons ā Charlie Munger On Making Mistakes
āļø Crazy Popular Mechanics Article ā Your āGut Feelingsā Are Memories From The Future, Scientists Say
š¬ Quote Iām Ponderingā¦
āThe first skill to learn is the art of letting go the human inclination to judge ourselves and our performance as either good or bad.ā
From The Inner Game of Tennisā
How we can work together
When youāre ready, here are 2 free ways I can help you:
- š§ My Podcast. Listen to or watch my free podcast The Rich Webster Show. It is an unfiltered look behind the scenes at my life and work.
- š ļø 6-Figure Solopreneur Systems. Free email course. Steal the exact systems I used to run TWO multi-six-figure solo businesses in under 20 hours a week.
And 2 paid engagements:
- š How To Work Less. From 2012-2023, I built a design agency that made me $500k/year, working 10 hours a week. šHow To Work Less gives the playbook. Enrolling now. (400+ past students. 5 stars)
- š§Ŗ The Lab. I advise and mentor 6-7 figure Creative Solopreneurs. If you want to work closely with me (i.e. we speak 1-2 times a week), watch this video, the follow the instructions.