Learning from Aleksander Aamodt Kilde—and why we should stop trying to understand?

I once asked Aleksander Aamodt Kilde how it felt when he won the world’s most challenging downhill race—the Hahnenkamm in 2023. He said it felt magical. He could sense his speed, was completely in the moment, time seemed to slow down, and he instinctively placed the right turns into the snow. It was only about the run—not the finish line. In the end, he was almost disappointed that it was already over.

We all know these moments—those magical instances when everything suddenly clicks, when one action effortlessly triggers the next, when everyone and everything seems connected in an almost energetic way. Everything feels light, effortless—and yet you are more present and performing at a higher level than ever before.

The question is: how do we get into this conscious state of flow?

How can we reach this state of total mental and physical harmony? With the athletes I work with, I often share a story from the film “Enter the Dragon” with Bruce Lee. In it, Caine hits the bull’s-eye repeatedly with a bow and arrow—eyes closed, head turned away from the target. When asked, “How do you do that?” he simply replies: “I do not do it. It does not get done.”

The other asks, “What do you mean by: ‘It does not get done’?”

Caine: “It is only experienced. It happens—the target, the arrow, the bow are all one. Not many things, not separate things—everything is ONE.”

The other still doesn’t understand. So Caine says:
“When you stop trying to understand, you will know—without understanding.”

Whenever we manage to free our minds and stop trying to force an outcome—while at the same time continuing to refine our skills—we are able to reach peak performance.

Timothy Gallwey describes this as “the inner game”, in which he speaks of two selves:

“Self 1” is the analytical, ego-driven, fearful self that drives many of our actions and occupies our thoughts. It is the self that constantly drifts away from the present moment, clings to internal obstacles, and disrupts our performance.

“Self 2” is the intuitive, unconscious mind that transcends these obstacles and allows us to feel at one with everything around us. Self 2 lives fully in the present moment—and holds the key to flow in our lives.

Knowing about “Self 2” is one thing—but only through regular practice and the conscious shift from Self 1 to Self 2 do we achieve mastery.