The Inner Game . . .

Some years ago several books came out with titles such as, The Inner Game of Tennis, and The Inner Game of Golf. All of them had the same premise: that success is often as much a matter of headwork as skill. By "headwork" I mean the mind-set each of us brings to an activity, including our reactions to frustration, disappointment, and victory.

As a tennis player, I found much that was of merit in the Tennis book. I still do. Lately, wearing my woodworker hat, I've been thinking that the same principles apply. Here are a few of them.

First, the pursuit of excellence is what any skill-based activity is all about. Rather than focusing on outcomes, focus on process -- and take pleasure in it. When cutting a tenon or a dovetail, for example, do the job properly, thoughtfully. Strive to cut the best tenon of which you're capable.

Second, resist the urge to fault yourself for not being as much a master as others are. You can only be who you are. And your development is personal. Do the best job you can now. Don't fret about the fact that someone else might do this job more easily or more skillfully. And don't gloat about the fact that you're more proficient than others. Your task is to reach, and gradually increase, your personal level of excellence.

Third, if things don't go as you imagined they would, rather than getting angry or impatient, use the moment as a learning opportunity. Ask yourself questions like these: Why did the short-fall, or error, or mis-cut, occur? What can I do to prevent a recurrence of what happened? Or -- even more creatively -- can I convert this disappointment into an opportunity?

The worst thing a woodworker, or anyone who is working at a skill-based activity, can do is to let self-contempt, frustration, and personal pride interfere with the learning to which each of us must give priority.