My Meadow Report

the juice is in the journey

  • Home
  • About
    • About Renée
    • What is My Meadow Report
  • New Here?
  • Offerings
    • Practical Astrology:
  • Work With Me
  • Collections
  • Connect
You are here: Home / Coaching / Tie Your Shoes to Find Flow

Tie Your Shoes to Find Flow

June 3, 2021 | Renée Fishman

The late UCLA basketball coach John Wooden is largely considered one of the greatest sports coaches of all time. His legendary first practice of the season — which began with a lesson on “how to tie your shoes” — is often cited as an example of his relentless focus on fundamentals.

The focus on fundamentals was a core part of Wooden’s teachings.

What are the fundamentals?

When we think of fundamentals, we often think about the physical skills that are the building blocks for the results we want to create.

For a basketball player, this includes the mechanics of handling and shooting the ball. Wooden believed in drilling the core skills relentlessly until they became second nature to the players.

Pick any endeavor or job and you can break it down to its fundamental skills.

For a pianist, the fundamentals might include playing the scales and knowing the chords. Any musician who can jam well or improv can do so only because they’ve invested hours in practicing their fundamentals.

As Wooden said,

Drilling creates a foundation on which individual initiative and imagination can flourish.

The physical skills are certainly a part of the fundamentals. And for Wooden, fundamentals went beyond the physical.

There’s another nuance to the “tie your shoes” lesson that often gets lost in the retelling.

The Fundamental of Focus

Teaching players how to tie their shoes was about a specific fundamental: the fundamental of focus.

Wooden did not want his players to be distracted by the pain of a blister or the threat of a shoelace coming undone.

When a player is confident that their laces will stay tied, they can direct 100% of their conscious and unconscious focus to the game. They can implement the physical skills they have trained.

Wooden’s lesson about tying shoes was about being proactive in removing potential distractions upfront, before they have a chance to become distractions.

The ability to avoid distractions — especially at crunch time — was the differentiating factor for Wooden’s teams and for champions across all sports.

It is also the secret to finding the elusive “flow” state. We can’t get into a flow state when we are preoccupied with worry about something that might happen. Flow requires a certain mental space.

Wooden understood something that is so basic, yet has often been overlooked, especially in the realm of work and productivity:

It’s not enough to be a master of your craft. To perform at your full potential, your nervous system must feel safe enough to relax so that all of your focus can be directed toward doing what you know and trained for.

Distractions are inevitable, and many are predictable. In creating the space we need for our best work, a crucial part of our task is to anticipate what distractions will arise so we can prevent or avoid them. This allows us to focus more of our energetic resources on the work that matters.

Distractions abound
Proactively prevent them
to find your flow state

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Filed Under: Coaching, Productivity Tagged With: distractions, flow, focus, nervous system, productivity, safety

Love it? Hate it? What do you think? Don't hold back...Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

The journey is better with friends!

Join a growing tribe of wisdom seekers who are committed to a life of meaning and purpose, and embrace a new paradigm of productivity.

I take your privacy and my integrity seriously. I won't spam you or sell your info. You can unsubscribe at any time.

WHAT’S EVERYONE READING?

  • The Missing Piece to Rumi’s Quote About Finding the Barriers You’ve Built Against Love
    The Missing Piece to Rumi’s Quote About Finding the Barriers You’ve Built Against Love
  • Reflections On Turning 44: Transforming Double Death Into Blessing
    Reflections On Turning 44: Transforming Double Death Into Blessing
  • The Astrology of The Attack on Israel
    The Astrology of The Attack on Israel
  • The Real Meaning of The Wizard of Oz
    The Real Meaning of The Wizard of Oz
  • Venus Square The Lunar Nodes: An Invitation to Transcend Your Fear With Confidence
    Venus Square The Lunar Nodes: An Invitation to Transcend Your Fear With Confidence
  • The Shoelace Theory of Success
    The Shoelace Theory of Success
  • If You Don’t Like the Answer, Change the Question
    If You Don’t Like the Answer, Change the Question
  • Mars Square Pluto: Reveal the Real Roots of Your Self-Sabotage
    Mars Square Pluto: Reveal the Real Roots of Your Self-Sabotage
  • Venus Conjunct Uranus in Taurus: Revolutionize Your Relationship With Your Resources
    Venus Conjunct Uranus in Taurus: Revolutionize Your Relationship With Your Resources
  • 3 Ways to Work With the Energy of Mercury Square Neptune
    3 Ways to Work With the Energy of Mercury Square Neptune

RECENT POSTS

  • How to Get Out of Inertia
  • Mars/Uranus and Jupiter/Saturn Squares: A Catalyst For Action
  • The Unseen Force Draining Your Energy and Focus
  • The Truth About Getting Unstuck
  • 3 Challenges of Beginner’s Mind — and How to Overcome Them
  • Full Moon in Sagittarius: Seek Wisdom
  • 5 Things to Know About Jupiter in Cancer
  • The 4 Principles of Care
  • Mercury Conjunct Jupiter in Gemini: The Secret to a Flexible Mind
  • Regulating Through Rhythm

Archives

Categories

Explore

action ADHD astrology beliefs business change coaching communication creativity emotions energy fear fitness freedom goals habits healing holidays learning lessons life meaning mindfulness mindset nature personal development personal growth planning practice presence process productivity purpose rest rituals seasons self-awareness strategies success time time management trust vision writing yoga

Disclosure

Some of the links in some posts are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission.

Connect with Me

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • Threads
  • TikTok
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo
  • YouTube

Get the Insider Scoop!

Not everything is on the blog. Sign up to receive ideas and strategies that I reserve only for insiders.

Thanks for subscribing!

Copyright © 2025 Renee Fishman · BG Mobile First · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · WordPress · Log in

%d