A quick reflection on 2015...
I started the year a losing 2NL player hoping to move up to 4 or 5NL (depending on the site) by the end of the year. I was also going through redundancy, unsure if I'd find a new job before my notice period was up.
After a brief winning period I moved to 4NL early (way too early given the sample I was winning with) and began losing immediately.
At the same time I found and started a new job on more money with better prospects.
Mid year I re-evaluated how I was approaching poker, put more time into studying, and started improving.
I also realised that I was having some mental issues off table. Mild depression perhaps, I don't know, but my relationship with the Mrs reached a ten year low because of it.
Gladly though, I and we, are starting to come out the other side.
I'm a far better player than I was at the start of the year, and the OPL has brought a lot of the fun back. I'm now breaking even (just about) at 4NL and have a much greater idea of what I need to work on to start beating this level.
Goals for 2016...
Beat 4NL. This thread was about moving up to 10NL by christmas. Same goal, just later than planned.
3k hands per week average. I'll be studying more, table selecting more, and continuing playing OPL tourneys so this is a reasonable target for me.
Lift. My back is a lot better. I'll be pretty much starting from scratch but with consistent training I can get back to good size and strength by the end of the year.
Ride. Every day I take the bike to work I save £5. And it's so much fun. I need to take every opportunity to do it. Perhaps think about going for full licence late next year.
Save. As long as my shit heap car doesn't totally fail (my mechanic thinks it might!) I don't want to use a credit card even once. That means saving each month for the big expenses, holiday, xmas etc.
Kids. I don't do enough with them. I'm lucky enough to see them everyday and we spend every weekend together. Need to start making the most of it.
Good luck to everyone with their goals. Happy new year!
Now, this bottle of Jim Beam won't drink itself...