Mindfulness. Present-moment awareness. Paying attention to the now.
The art of noticing has many names. However, the important part is to understand what it truly means and why it is important in chess.
Many chess players share instances of experiencing stress, pressure, nervousness, indecisiveness, lack of motivation, and much more. However, when we dive deeper to explore what is truly going on in their mind while they are experiencing these phenomena, the answers are vague.
It is not that they do not wish to share or that they are being lazy in their exploration. Rather, it is simply that most of us are not aware of how we can notice these things about ourselves.
Before I explain further, let’s do a quick activity. For the next two minutes, just be present. Sit calmly and simply observe your internal world. Do not stop any thoughts. Simply observe them as if you were observing the flow of a river while sitting on the riverbank. If any feelings come up, observe them too.
The key here, though, is not to make any judgment about them. Look at them for what they are, without differentiating them as “good,” “bad,” “helpful,” or “unhelpful,” and so on.
Many people call this activity meditation and often use it as a
band-aid remedy. What is less commonly understood is the logic behind it.
The art of noticing your inner world allows you to understand the difference between moments when things are working well for you and moments when something could be better. So, imagine the benefit of doing a quick version of the above activity during performance. It could turn out to be an important step in managing yourself in those critical moments.
Consider this example: If you learn to notice what happens when you are not feeling confident, you begin collecting valuable information. You may notice certain thoughts that arise when you feel underconfident. You may become aware of emotions associated with it. You may recall past actions or experiences that added to the feeling of underconfidence.
Each of these becomes an information point that helps us work towards enhancing our confidence.
The thoughts you notice? We work on them, reframe them, and make them more conducive to performance. The emotions you notice? We explore their meaning and reinterpret that meaning to support performance. The actions you recollect? They help us understand what did not work earlier and guide us toward actions that align better with our intended performance.
When you notice more, you gather more objective information about yourself. This allows you to do more of what works and to change what does not work into something that does.
This process is easier said than done. Our minds are trained to attach judgment to thoughts almost instantly. That is why practicing the art of noticing without judgment is essential.
Like all skills, with time and practice, you will get better at it.
And while this skill is extremely valuable for chess performance,
its benefits extend far beyond the board and into life itself!