Comparable Challenging Activities » Working Out & Playing Poker

In thinking about the game of life i often end comparing the challenging aspects of different activities I enjoy and more often then not, success is always found in the same elements.

In This post i will compare working out and playing poker online.  I love to work out, and i love to play poker.  These are two activities i partake in, enjoy, study, and think about on a daily basis.


The similarity between these two activities are that they are challenging.  Success in a workout regiment and success in pursuing a winning poker career both require much of the same mental strength.

Fundamental elements to Success In Working Out And Poker

1. Drive:  Passion is the foundation of success in most of life's activities, whether it is following through with fitness goals while enjoying them, pursuing accomplishment in a sport or leisure activity, or even sustaining a good relationship with your significant other.  Without Passion, you definitely wont develop:

2. Discipline:  Discipline is the foundation for getting things accomplished.  It isn't just about the task at hand, its about being efficient so that you can get the most out of the activity and so that the activity is enjoyable while not affecting other areas of your life.

When you workout, it is important to be disciplined in:

1. your diet, 
2. sleep schedule, 
3. and routine in order to get the most out of your time and efforts without wasting too many thought processes on your regiment during other important parts of your day.  

When playing poker it is important to be disciplined enough to

1. develop a routine and time schedule for play, 
2. set strict bankroll management guidelines, 
3. develop, learn, and refine sound poker strategies, 
4. be able to put up with the grinding challenge of winning slightly more than you will lose over a long period of time.

3. Patience:  What aspect of life doesn't require patience.  In short, A person who seeks instant gratification in any challenging activity will always fail.  The key skill in this area is determination and enjoyment.  The thing i love most about working out and playing poker is that they are indeed challenging.  Every Challenge demands Patience a.k.a Determination a.k.a Perseverence.  Determination is most easily cultivated by Enjoyment a.k.a passion.

In conclusion: Working Out, playing online poker, and most challenging activities we pursue in life demand us to build our character with the same elements in order to succeed.

This entry may be kind of lame...but you get the drift.  The point is...GET YOUR MIND RIGHT.  Think about what you're doing, why you want to do it, and how you can do it efficiently and successfully.