SMART Goals

SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound.

If I am to make a career out of poker, I need to have a plan to get there. The first step is probably working out where "there" is. Assuming that I can live comfortably with an income of $120K, this seems like a reasonable starting point and is conveniently $10K per month.

It seems like a long way off, but if I could achieve this by 2011, both kids would have finished school and I could be heading toward retirement. I'd still need to be enjoying poker to make it worthwhile. That would mean that making that sort of income needs to be consistent and relatively easy. That way I can enjoy the company of the better characters that I will undoubtedly meet along the way.

3 years should be more than enough time assuming that I am diligent, reasonably suited to the game and disciplined. So it seems to me very achievable. Possibly too easy, but we can reset goals along the way if we appear to be over-achieving.

Assuming that I can rise a level every 6 months, it seems logical that I might need to make $2.5K per month in 2010 and $1K per month in 2009. All of a sudden, it's starting to look like I'd better get serious fairly soon to achieve my goal.

$1K per month ... that's much more than I am doing currently. I need to:
- improve my win rate per 100 hands;
- put in more volume; or
- increase the levels that I'm playing at.

The last one is the least desirable as my skill level may not be there yet. The first one is obvioulsy the healthiest.

First cab off the rank though ... next time I will consider my options around volume - more time or multitabling?