I've had hundreds of coaching calls and chats with aspiring poker players.
The one thing that separates those who stagnate in their development and those that go on to build a successful career is their approach to learning.
Today I'm going to share seven key ways to cultivate a growth mindset and how each one can significantly enhance your poker game.
From viewing challenges as opportunities to learning from failures, these strategies will help you develop resilience, sharpen your skillset and achieve greater success.
Let's dive in...
Growth mindset vs fixed mindset
A growth mindset is the belief that your abilities and intelligence can be developed with effort, learning and persistence.
The fixed mindset is the opposite of that, where you believe that those things are static and there's not a lot you can do to change them.
Do any of these sound familiar?
You avoid challenges
You believe that talent is static
You focus on proving yourself
You can't accept failure or mistakes
You shy away from unfamiliar things
You refuse to receive criticism or feedback
You feel threatened by the success of others
These mistakes are normal. I made every single one of them at some point in my life both in- and outside of poker.
But I've also learnt a lot since then, and I'd like to help you avoid the same mistakes.
So here's my list of seven priorities to focus on when you're ready to adopt a growth mindset and really want to develop as a poker player:
1. Learn and grow from failure
If you play MTTs, you will fail... a lot!
You will also make a lot of mistakes, and that's ok. Everyone makes mistakes and even the best players in the world lose sometimes.
The key is to learn from these failures rather than be discouraged by them.
After a tough session, review your hands, identify what went wrong and think about how you can improve.
This reflective practice will turn your losses into valuable lessons, helping you to develop as a player and avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future.
2. Step out of your comfort zone
Staying within your comfort zone might feel safe, but it’s not where growth happens.
In poker, this means pushing yourself to adapt and improve. One of the key components of Purposeful Practice for Poker is stepping out of your comfort zone.
And while it can feel uncomfortable, it’s essential for developing new skills and becoming a better poker player.
3. Embrace constructive feedback
Feedback is a crucial part of growth, but only if you’re open to it.
Embrace the feedback from other players and coaches without taking it personally. If done well, constructive feedback can highlight areas for improvement that you might not see yourself.
4. View challenges as opportunities
In poker, challenges are inevitable - from tough opponents to bad beats and downswings, MTTs constantly test your skills and resilience.
Instead of seeing these challenges as setbacks, view them as opportunities to learn and improve.
Each difficult hand is yet another puzzle to solve. Each tough decision is a chance to refine your strategy and become a stronger player.
Adopting this mindset will help you remain positive and proactive, turning challenges into stepping stones for success.
5. Believe that talent is ever-improving
A growth mindset is rooted in the belief that abilities and talents can be developed with effort and practice.
Poker is no different - you can become a skilled poker player through dedication and continuous learning.
Believe in your potential to improve and keep pushing yourself.
6. Be inspired by the success of others
It’s easy to feel jealous when you see other players have a big bink, but instead of feeling like that, let their success inspire you.
Work out what they're doing right and think about how you can incorporate similar strategies and habits into your own game and off-the-table work.
Successful players are proof that hard work pays off.
Let their achievements motivate you to strive for your own.
7. Focus on the process, not the end result
Poker is a game of long-term skill and short-term luck.
Focusing solely on the end result—like winning a tournament or a big pot—can be misleading and frustrating due to the variance baked into the game.
Poor play can be rewarded. Great play can be punished by the poker gods.
Instead, focus on making the best possible decisions every hand.
Taking a process-orientated approach (rather than a results-orientated approach) ensures that you're continually improving regardless of short-term results (both positive and negative), and sets you up for success over the long run.
Summary
1. Learn and grow from failure
2. Step out of your comfort zone
3. Embrace constructive feedback
4. View challenges as opportunities
5. Believe that talent is ever-improving
6. Be inspired by the success of others
7. Focus on the process, not the end result
That's it for this week.
See you next time.
Whenever you're ready, here's how I can help you:
The Final Table: Play your best poker when the most is at stake. Detailed analysis of over 100 hand examples at different stages of play. Learn how to make great decisions every time and set yourself up for daily progress.
Poker On The Mind: Listen to my podcast with Dr Tricia Cardner as we discuss peak poker performance and tournament poker strategy.
Train & Play Like The Pros: Join my signature programme that will take you from amateur to training and playing like the pros in the next 12 weeks.
Purposeful Practice for Poker: Gain a clear theoretical understanding of the science of purposeful practice and how you can apply it to your poker study & training. Includes specific exercises designed to create an infallible plan for poker improvement.
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