I re-watched the speech from nFo's blog, and I must say I have a different belief when it comes to long term motivation.
To explain what I believe in, a basketball coaching legend, John Wooden has to take stage.
In short we are talking about the difference between expected curves of learning and achievement. What most mainstream adverts and movies and pop culture would make you believe is that something like this happens:
And life is full of endless climaxes, never slowing down, you keep learning and getting higher and you should hunt these climaxes, as much as you can.
But what really happens with vast majority of people (There are exception) is this:
You become obsessed, neglecting side aspects of your life, family, exercise etc. You jump into one thing without keeping track of balance, and sooner or later you will realize that there is no such thing as an endless series of climaxes, and that the initial learning curve is simply not sustainable. You either lose interest and move on another thing that gives you immediate steep learning curve, only to give up again later, or you simply burn out.
So what do I believe is the correct path, especially for poker players? The path of mastery, where you do have climaxes but small and gradual, you are in peace with long periods where all you do is practice what you learned, and where all you do is in balance be it the attention you pay to your family, health, poker and learning alike. You know when one thing stops and another one starts and you know how to switch off and where you priorities lay.
To be on the correct path to mastery, to learn new things in poker, patiently practice them and make them part of my unconscious competence before moving onto another things and to pay close attention to my family, health and balance in my life. To just be on that path is a never ending end in itself. For me being able to follow that path and being happy in the long haul is what matters.
On September 09 2011 04:48 Silver_nz wrote:
how has this been working out for you lemon? obv you were the 2nd graph, but has this advice actually had any real effect for you?
Undoubtedly. I still tend to obsess and I am as far from mastery as anyone, but when I manage to stick to it and balance my priorities my results energy and happiness levels are always high.
I am dreadful at dealing with external pressure, i.e. my routine was again destroyed by the ghostwriting job that became huge, dull and time consuming and I shouldn't have taken it and by spending heaps of time on my gf's dissertation I started the obsessive path of working overnight and not being able to switch off, taken up dota again.... But now when I am able to focus on what I love, on getting a bit better each day taken up regular Tai Chi and Yoga and try to introduce more and more stable things into my regime I couldn't be happier.
It is easy to fall off the path to mastery if you didn't spend a whole lot of time on it
Stroggoz New Zealand. Sep 09 2011 06:51. Posts 5330
Im just about to hit the first rung on that mastery curve to poker. Taking a break atm to learn other shit then im gona get back into it. Dunno why the mastery curve is flat inbetween rungs tho, im always going up kinda like the 1st graph. Also my life kinda sucks and is imbal. So im kinda all 3 graphs.
One of 3 non decent human beings on a site of 5 people with between 2-3 decent human beings
for poker, my learning/motivation graph is alot like the 3rd one. I'll improve my game, and play alot for one month, then end up being lazy and unmotivated for the next two months. . .
lately it seems like i'm spending more time watching motivational videos, and reading self help stuff than I am playing poker. :/
I dont know what a dt drop is. Is it a wrestling move? -Oly
op seems really true. At least I can say for me after spending a few years being obsessed with poker im at where things go down and i'm barely even playing anymore. guess i'll find balance and try to transition to graph 3 interesting blogpost!
On September 10 2011 05:18 Ket wrote:
op seems really true. At least I can say for me after spending a few years being obsessed with poker im at where things go down and i'm barely even playing anymore. guess i'll find balance and try to transition to graph 3 interesting blogpost!
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((
Altough it's not hopeless
United Kingdom. Sep 10 2011 06:18. Posts 8665
