The Challenges in Poker

Continuous effort (not strength or intelligence) is the key to unlocking our potential.
- Liane Cardes

Because what are challenges really?

They are learning opportunities and, after every challenge, you will have become a more experienced and better poker player.

If I was to tell you that if you went through 2 months of horrible challenges (bad beats) and after 3 months you would be making $5,000 or whatever a month, wouldn't you easily plow through the 2 months because you knew what was waiting for you?

I know I would!

The same thing works for me with well-defined goals.

If I have a well defined goal in my head, I know that I will reach it (assuming it is a realistic goal, not like learning to fly or taking over the world...).

Even with all the challenges, I focus on how I can learn from them and how I can get past them and, most important of all, I focus on what it will feel like when I reach my goal…I use pleasure to motivate myself as much as I can, because it feels good ;-)

If I can't figure something out myself, I will ask someone who knows, and use their knowledge to get through it and create a unique experience for myself from which I will learn.

Sometimes, ideas pop into my head that I never even thought about and they often end up being solutions. The more I've enjoyed challenges, the easier it has been to get past them and enjoy the process of coming up with creative solutions.

And there are times when I'll be incredibly frustrated. Usually what I do then is relax and take a break, because I can't work well in a negative state. And to my surprise, often enough, the solution will be right in front of my eyes when I come back to the challenge/problem after a break or after a good night of sleep.

If you never stop trying, you can never fail, and the more you do something, the better you get. Having talent is just a natural instinct to practice the right things, so when you find someone who is really good at something ask yourself––"How do they do that?" and copy them and persevere!

And remember to only compare yourself to yourself. Look at how good you were yesterday, and, if you are becoming better each day, then you must be doing something right.

What this will do is motivate you with pleasure because you will see that you are improving and that will inspire you immensely. This is the strategy I try to use as often as I can and when I use it the results are great :-)

Summary

  • Use challenges to your advantage
  • Ask for help
  • Have a well defined goal
  • Focus on the positive


Done with Challenges in Poker? Read My Bankroll Requirements Next