"Every game is composed of two parts: an outer game and an inner game." — Timothy Gallwey
Wise Words on HUMAN NATURE
When Timothy Gallwey’s book The Inner Game of Tennis was published 50 years ago, it made an explosive impact, first in the realm of sports coaching and then in the wider sphere of performance optimization.
It was one of the first books to present the notion of mindfulness-in-action as an adaptive/success skill. It took the concept of meditation (be here now) and moved it from the Buddhist monk’s solitary practice into the real world of sports, business, relationships … everything.
Playing the game
Every important part of life can be viewed as a “game” in the sense that there are players and rules and winning and losing. When playing a game (friendships, career, dating, marriage, parenting, health), there is an OUTER game (our observable behavior) and an INNER game (our feelings, thoughts, beliefs). Gallwey presents a both/and integrative paradigm, viewing these two parts of the gamer’s life as vitally important and synergistic.
The inner game flows continuously into the outer game and vice versa. Problems on one side will cause problems on the other. Mastery and balance of the two enable peak performance and, well, happiness!
If we want to be more happy and successful, our job is to pay continuous attention to our inner and outer games and to make continuous strategic adjustments to both as we adapt to changing circumstances in the real world around us. It is a tough complicated program but, as with any high-value skill, the way to mastery is …
Practice. Practice. Practice.
To read my overview of best practices for managing your inner game, go here.
Yes, practice. It really is the key. Anything you want to get better at, practice it. Conscientiousness is the where the magic happens.
Yes to the interplay of inner and outer.