The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life (11 page)

control, and success,
133

correction,
114
,
115

credit cards,
37–38
,
89–90

culture

and goals,
86–91

and images of perfection,
46

Japanese,
35–37

and process orientation,
35

and product orientation,
28
,
35

D

decision making,
57
,
96

deliberateness,
40
,
99
,
132

detachment,
86
,
116–17

dialogue, internal,
79
,
111
,
119

disappointment,
107

discipline,
10
,
38
,
88
,
90

children’s perception of valf,
125

and patience,
16

and practice,
18

disconnection, between thoughts and actions,
64

discontentment,
81

discouragement,
41

distractions,
9
,
24
,
50
,
52–53
,
126

See also
inner chatter

DOC (Do, Observe, Correct) process,
113–21

and sports,
114–15

and worrying,
115–16

doing,
114
,
115

driving,
7
,
52–53

E

educational system,
29–31

effort,
88
,
89

and attainment of goals,
6
,
137

children’s perception of value of,
125

intentional,
67
,
68

and progress,
132

relation to joy,
90

ego,
99
,
111
,
117
,
119

and internal dialogue,
79–80

and perfection,
50–51

and subjectivity,
112

emotions

detaching from,
116–17

and flying,
108–9

and judgment,
26–27
,
107

negive,
64
,
77
,
86
,
96

and perception of events,
127

emptiness, inner,
51–52

encouragement,
31

energy

and judgment,
27

wasting,
86

enjoyment, and work,
55–56

equanimity,
105–21

defined,
105

evaluation,
106

and judgment,
116

even-temperedness,
105

expectations,
64
,
112

letting go of,
20

self-imposed,
49

F

failure,
95

learning from,
5–6

why it happens,
3

fatigue, mental,
95

feedback, present-moment,
26

feelings,
120

flowers,
42
,
51
,
103

and perfection,
47–49

flying,
108–9

focus,
85–86
,
91
,
133

on present,
23
,
53–54

frustration,
80
,
95
,
121
,
134

and goals,
24

G

Galileo,
109

20;get it now” perspective.
See
instant gratification

goals

choosing,
6

constant movement of,
121

directing positive energy toward,
27

false,
51

and focus,
85–86
,
86–91

and frustration,
24

giving up attachment to,
23

and Japanese culture,
37

learning to play music,
92

measuring against progress,
25–26

misusing,
26

moving away from,
12

and practice,
25

product vs. process,
21
,
23–24

things vs. achievement,
90–91

unrealistic,
95

using to direct life course,
133

winning as goal,
115

golf

developing habits,
65–66

practicing,
4–6
,
17–20

preshot routine,
69–70

grades, academic

power of,
32–35

and self-worth,
29–31

growth,
84–85
,
133–37

H

habits,
62
,
63–73
,
135

breaking,
116

choosing,
72–73

formation of,
65–67

making slowness into,
103

and practice,
18
,
65

replacing undesirable,
67–68
,
68–70

happiness

authentic,
51

inner,
41

and materialism,
51

and money,
80

and perfection,
44–45
,
46–47

I

ideal,
43
,
47

changing concept of,
110

imagined,
106

problem with images of,
44

impartial-observer perspective,
120

impatience,
28
,
40
,
51
,
77–78
,
79

See also
patience indifference, emotional,
27

inner chatter,
24
,
79–80

See also
distractions inner dialogue,
111
,
119

inner peace,
27
,
28
,
51
,
61

inspiration,
45–46

instant gratification,
37–38
,
39
,
89–90
,
128
,
137

intention,
22
,
40
,
53–54

predtermined,
72

intentional effort,
67
,
68

J

Japanese culture,
35–37

joy,
5
,
38
,
136

and music,
88

of receiving something,
90

judgment,
96
,
105–6

downside of,
107

and emotions,
26–27

and evaluation,
116

and perfection,
46

and stress,
111

See also
nonjudgment; prejudgment

L

learning,
1–15

from children,
123–31

desire for,
6

differences from practicing,
21–22

from failures,
5–6

to play music,
92

process of,
3
,
19

and stress,
67

life

experiencing directly,
134

processing,
11

listening,
130–31

looks and perfection,
46

M

manufacturing industry,
35–37

martial arts,
53–54

mastery,
27

materialism chpos=0000097169 >51,
80
,
136–37

media,
137

meditation,
59
,
112–13

mental fatigue,
95

mind, undisciplined,
9–10

mistakes,
24
,
92

money,
80

motivation,
95

multitasking,
7–8

music,
82–85

children’s perspective of value of practice,
125–26

learning to play as goal,
92

practicing,
1
,
2–3
,
25

N

Natural, The
(film),
43–44

nature and perfection,
51

negative emotions,
64
,
77
,
86
,
96

no-expectations point of view,
112

nonjudgment,
104
,
105

See also
judgment

“not work.”
See
recreational activities

O

objectivity,
110
,
112

observation, objective,
27

Observer, the,
64
,
103
,
111

alignment with,
112–13
,
117
,
118
,
126–27

developing,
40

and objectivity,
112

observing,
114
,
115

organs, self-playing,
87–90

P

pdox of slowness,
97–98

parents, teaching with actions,
128–29