The World Class Operates From Objective Reality

“Amateur performers operate from delusion, pros operate from objective reality. The great ones’ habits, actions, and behaviors are totally congruent with the size and scope of their ultimate vision. That’s why we call them champions.”

– Steve Siebold

Action Step for Today: Make a commitment to check delusion at the door. Be honest and ask this critical thinking question: “Are my habits, actions and behaviors congruent with the vision I have for my life?”

World-Class Resource: Get a copy of Leadership and Self-Deception, by The Arbinger Institute. This book made me reexamine my entire belief system. It’s a must-have for your mental toughness library.

Wisdom of Wolves  by Twyman Towery

The attitude of the wolf can be summed up simply: it is a constant visualization of success. The collective wisdom of wolves has been progressively programmed into their genetic makeup throughout the centuries. Wolves have mastered the technique of focusing their energies toward the activities that will lead to the accomplishment of their goals.

 Wolves do not aimlessly run around their intended victims, yipping and yapping. They have a strategic plan and execute it through constant communication. When the moment of truth arrives, each understands his role and understands exactly what the pack expects of him.

The wolf does not depend on luck. The cohesion, teamwork and training of the pack determines whether the pack lives or dies.

There is a silly maxim in some organizations that everyone, to be a valuable member, must aspire to be the leader. This is personified by the misguided CEO who says he only hires people who say they want to take his job. Evidently, this is supposed to ensure that the person has ambition, courage, spunk, honesty, drive - whatever. In reality, it is simply a contrived situation, with the interviewee jumping through the boss's hoops. It sends warnings of competition and one-upmanship throughout the organization rather than signals of cooperation, teamwork and loyalty.

Everyone does not strive to be the leader in the wolf pack. Some are consummate hunters or caregivers or jokesters, but each seems to gravitate to the role he does best. This is not to say there are not challenges to authority, position and status - there are. But each wolf's role begins emerging from playtime as a pup and refines itself through the rest of its years.

The wolf's attitude is always based upon the question, "What is best for the pack?" This is in marked contrast to us humans, who will often sabotage our organizations, families or businesses, if we do not get what we want.

 Wolves are seldom truly threatened by other animals. By constantly engaging their senses and skills, they are practically unassailable. They are masters of planning for the moment of opportunity to present itself, and when it does, they are ready to act.

 Because of training, preparation, planning, communication and a preference for action, the wolf's expectation is always to be victorious. While in actuality this is true only 10 percent of the time or less, the wolf's attitude is always that success will come -and it does.

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. - John 8:7.

 1. Goal Setting. Analyze yourself. Be brutally honest. Where are you now? What have you done to arrive here? What have you done wrong? Done right? What are your defeats? What are your victories?

Now that you know where you are and how you got here, you must explore a new route to a new destination. What are your goals? What do you want to achieve? Are you capable of reaching that level of performance and satisfaction? What are your goals?

Write down your answers. Be specific.

One key to a successful poker life is understanding what makes you happy as a poker player. What makes me happy is ending the month with more money than I started with. A simple goal, which may be a leak itself, as I am often hesitant to take necessary risks.  This goal is also insufficiently specific. Specifically, my goal is to show a $1000 profit monthly.

I came across the following example in another player's blog.

10 day goals: (November 21st – 30th) Win 5 nl cash game buyins. Win 10bb's in lhe. Have three consecutive winning sessions of cash games . Win 1 sng mtt. Get to 14,000 fpps on stars. Get to 8,000 ftps on tilt. Play 12 hours of cash. Play 50 sng mtts. Make $200.

Note. This player made $500 in that period. And while his goal was to win just one SNG MTT, he actually won 2 of 22.  Feel free to exceed your goals.

Cash is really just a means of keeping score. Do something with your winnings. Just don't let them sit there. Move up, if you're ready. Take a shot if you are feeling confident. cash out some portion of your BR, if you are ready to do some spending.

Which brings us to rewards.

My big goal is the 2010 WSOP.

2. Focus. For my happiness, "playing" poker seems somewhat inappropriate. I work at the game. Every successful, i.e., money-winning, player has worked at the game. And, if you don't keep working, you will soon fall behind. If I am not willing to do my best, I shouldn't sit down at the table.

But I do.

"Concentration is the secret of strength," Emerson explains. Personally, I need to eliminate distractions. The television is invariably playing noisily. Between hands, I am often e-mailing or surfing the internet. One of my changes must be to reduce distractions.

I am multi-tabling as I write this blog. The TV is blaring in the background.

3. Personal Improvement. The better your health, the better you will perform. At virtually every human endeavor. Including poker.

Phil Ivey sprints up and down the hallway in his palatial home. He lifts weighs in his private gym. Assassinato jogs 3 or 4 miles as daily as possible.

Poker may or may not be a sport, but you better get in shape if you want to win on a regular basis.

I recently purchased a fitness-club-quality elliptical trainer which awaits within an arm's reach. I get in a brief "sprint" during five-minute MTT breaks.

I have eliminated all beverages during play except for filtered ice water.

 4. Better Players. Study them. Read their books. Rail their games. Watch their videos. Observe their lifestyles. Listen to what they say. Emulate winners.

"If you want to be a winning player," offers Antonio Esfandiari, "you really have to be one step ahead of the next guy. You have to be really, really determined."

Don't walk the poker road alone. Make friends. Form a sweat group. Share hand histories. Find a mentor. Join a training site.

Become active at Poker Curious.

5. Game Selection. Every time you sit down to play, you better have a reason for being there. First of all, are you ready to play your A-game? Are you confident, prepared, fit, etc? Assuming a positive response, you can maximize your win-rate with proper table selection. No surprise here - the softer the competition, the more you should be able to win. Is the game juicy? Are there players you can exploit?

Deciding when to play and with whom to play are the two most important keys to your poker profitability.

Bonus change to improve your game. William James said, "Act the part and you will become the part." Act as if you are already a better player. And believe it. You are not only skillful but unusually lucky.

Don't berate opponents in the chat box. Stay away from the Bad Beat Forums, because you don't yourself tell bad beat stories.

Think like a top player. Eschew tilt. Take pride in your game.

Set aside time to enjoy with your family. Read a non-poker book, one without too many pictures.

If you become a better person, you will surely become a better poker player.

By the way, I turned off the television. Bach is playing so softly I can hardly hear it.

I am playing better already. - JDW