Trap
That trap is to care too much about achieving an outcome.
Clearn intention + practice + not focussed on the outcome
Contrast this to the other way I learned to catch a ball, which was to (i) have a clear intention that I wanted to catch the ball, (ii) not care if I did or didn’t, (iii) watch as my hand reached out perfectly accurately and effortlessly on its own such that the ball just landed in it.
2 Selves described in Inner Game series of books by W. Timothy Gallwey
Self 1 can interfere with Self 2
The more Self 1 cares about achieving a goal, the more it interferes with the natural functioning of Self 2. This is why, counterintuitively, the less you care about something, the more easily, effortlessly and effectively it can be achieved.
Not caring vs not intending
Caring is as described above, and comes with a sense of the outcome being important, that it (or we) would bad if the outcome weren’t achieved. There is a physical tension associated with it. Intending is the activation energy required to take a specific action. I can intend to catch the ball (or not) as it flies towards me, while not caring whether or not I actually catch it.
Ideal combination
In this frame, the ideal combination to minimise or remove self-interference is to have a strong and unambiguous intention while caring as little as possible. The worst combination for our performance is to have a weak and ambiguous intention while caring strongly about achieving a particular outcome.
Ease and lightness
Even in competition, it’s possible to maintain a position of “I want to win, but I don’t mind if I don’t”. That mental posture often brings about a sense of ease and lightness that unlock greater levels of performance that actually make winning more likely.