2012 is almost complete. We have rolled into December and less than a month remains in the year. In poker and in life, setting goals is common and important, and many of those goals are evaluated annually. If poker is more than a hobby, then having some clear-cut goals is an important part of what you do, and working toward them should be something that lasts longer than the first couple of weeks of 2013.

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Now is a great time to start looking at the goals you may have set for yourself in 2012 and seeing where you stand. If you are relatively new to poker or have significantly changed your playing situation, then you may have missed your goals by a wide margin. But, over time as you get a better grasp of what is realistic and possible, you should be able to fine-tune your goal making to be more precise.

If you missed your goals, or look like you will, you shouldstart evaluating what went wrong and determine if you need to change anything going forward. Often, the problem can be in the goal itself. If you set a goal to play 3,000 hours of poker and didn’t get there, then the solution may not be to play more poker, but instead realize that playing 60 hours of poker a week isn’t something that is good for you or that you want to do consistently.

A lot of my goals for 2012 were outside of poker, but have actually improved my poker game. As I continue to develop as a person and as a businessman, I am finding that a lot of the lessons and theories I am learning on the business side translate extremely well into how I should be thinking about poker to continue to improve as a player. Learning about business accounting, risk management, prioritizing, and generally running a business all apply well to what I am doing at the poker table and have improved my thought processes and bottom line.

Over the years, I have read a fair number of poker books, but the financial and business books and podcasts I have been exposed to over the last few years have helped me at least as much at the poker tables as the poker books have.

The majority of my goals are self-improvement-related and revolve around continuing to educate and improve my knowledge base on things that are important in my life and that I deem to be important for years to come. Poker plays a big part in my life and contributes to my income, so constantly improving is important to me.

Finance is important to all of us. As poker players, since we use money as the main measuring stick of what we do, investing has always interested me and is something that has many parallels with poker. Gaining business acumen is a constant and ongoing goal of mine as I look to broaden my horizons beyond poker into new and interesting ventures.

As I continue to read, listen, and learn about all of these topics, I find time and again that they all have common threads. Therefore, as I learn and understand more about one topic, I also improve in other areas.

So far, 2012 has been a solid year for me. I met many of the goals I set and exceeded my expectations in a few areas. I also gained knowledge and experience to have a better idea of what I want to shoot for in 2013.

What goals are you setting for yourself in 2013, both poker-related and otherwise? Let me know by commenting here.

Court Harrington has worked on the business side of the poker industry in roles including tournament reporting for PocketFives, radio hosting for PokerRoad Radio, coaching for the WSOP Academy and privately, and a variety of behind-the-scenes responsibilities for poker media businesses. He also plays in cash games and tournaments. Harrington is currently doing consulting work and exploring business opportunities outside of the poker industry. You can contact him at Court@CourtHarrington.com.