Inner and Outer Game

Whenver pursuing goal there’s an inner and an outer game.

The outer game is about the externals: strategy, deliverables, deadlines.

Then there’s the inner game: mindset, confidence, discipline.

It’s easy to track progress for the outer game, it’s hard to track progress for the inner game. This leads to frustration for many who are actively pursuing their goal.

Take job recruiting as an example. The outer game is about writing a great resume, networking, and preparing for interviews. Getting a great job is a solved problem: there’s tons of content out there that discuss the tactics and strategy to landing the best roles.

However there’s also the inner game of recruiting. This deals with self belief, resilience, hard work, and more. The inner game is as difficult if not more difficult than the outer game. What’s great about the inner game, is that improving your inner game is where you develop as a person. Inner game skills are highly transferrable.