Every week I try to accomplish something new that will further me or help me in the area of poker. Many times a goal that I have set for myself away from the poker table turns into something that will benefit me at the poker table as well as in life.

“If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves.” ~Thomas Alva Edison
For two weeks, I have been working on my mindset and my expectations. A common flaw that I was noticing with myself and with many others is that I was so comfortable playing the way I was and at the levels I was at, that I didn’t expect anything more out of myself. I was expecting defeat from myself, and subconsciously, I was sabotaging myself to fail. The truth is, what you expect is often what you will get. Low expectations can trap any of us into being mediocre and accepting it. If you constantly think that you have reached your limits, then you have! You’re limiting yourself and not pushing to become a better player. What you set as your goals and dreams will affect how you play. Creating an image of success and becoming great will produce positive results in your mind and in your life.

“You have it in your power to turn a bad-beat around simply by realizing this simple truth: The more bad beats you encounter, the luckier you are. It's a sign that you are playing against opponents who continually take the worst of it, and if you can't beat someone who always takes the worst of it, you can't beat anyone.” ~Lou Krieger

Expecting yourself to take bad beats is only going to make it worse when it happens. Complaining and surrounding yourself with negativity is going to produce negative results. Stop complaining to other people about how horrible your bad beats are; you’re bringing yourself down and bringing the person who listens to you down. Bad beats are a part of this game, accept it (don’t expect it) and move on. Set your mind to positive thoughts and in a positive direction, and watch your game change completely! You have to change the way you think before you can ever change the way you play.

Expecting great things out of yourself and for yourself also creates confidence and determination, and it betters your ability to handle the mental challenges that are going to come your way in your journey to becoming a better poker player. Conceive it in your mind and receive it in your life. Your own wrong thinking can keep you from doing your best. It’s a relatively easy concept when you think about it, yet so many poker players make the mistake of falling into a rut and never finding their way out. Visualize your success from time to time and make it come to pass. Sitting at the table each day expecting the same ole shit is going to produce just that....the same ole shit. You’re not going to get better and you’re not going to produce the positive results that you are capable of.

Remember that each day is a new day, and you can build your dreams and goals up. When you accomplish one goal, quickly set another. Keep the pressure on yourself; believe that you have what it takes to be successful. Personally, I am a huge fan of post it notes, and they surround my computer monitor. These remind me each and every day to work towards accomplishing my goals and to fill my mind with success and positive thoughts. A good way to set “poker goals” is to look at the traits and qualities that separate winning players from losing players. However small these traits and qualities may be, there are some that you may wish to accomplish, so write them down!

Remind yourself that hard work and determination pay off when combined with great expectations, proper goal setting, and smart bankroll management. Dreaming big is not an excuse for you to play over your bankroll; nothing is. Dream big and expect big, but keep in mind that proper bankroll management is also a HUGE factor in determining what levels you will play at. Set a goal to increase your bankroll and skill set to the needed amount to move up to your desired level, and then accomplish it.

"Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen." ~Michael Jordan

Enlarge your vision and focus on positive results, set the goals that you need to become a successful person and poker player. Do not accept being an average or mediocre player any longer, get off your ass and do something about it. Don’t let yourself become comfortable and don’t limit yourself. Remember to expect all that you need to put yourself on the road to becoming a better player and a better person, and then accomplish your expectations.