2014 Goals

I've always considered myself to be an athlete at heart in the purest sense. Meaning that I love competing in something at a high level regardless of what it actually is. It doesn't matter if it's racing cars, sports, video games, or even board games.

One of the non-monetary reasons that I'm leaving Time Attack racing is that I feel a large % of the competitive advantage can be bought. I'm not afraid to admit that I probably spent the most money out of all my competitors this year, and subsequently won because of it.

If you spend a lot of money on your platform then you WILL be faster than someone who didn't. I'm not calling anyone out in particular, or saying that there's no skill involved. Driving fast takes plenty of skill (and balls). But relative to other competitive mediums, money has a much bigger impact on results in motorsports than in anything else I've ever competed in.

For 2014 I've decided to revisit some old hobbies of mine and re-ignite my competitive flame in them.

My goals for 2014 are:

1. To become a better poker player
2. To become a better badminton player

These should do well to fulfil my competitive needs, and also (hopefully) make me wealthier and healthier.

Become a Better Poker Player

Poker was a large part of my life between 2006-2010. Many people don't know this but poker actually helped fund my motorsports career. I played for small stakes and grinded a steady profit each year. It was like a second job to me.

But playing poker every night on top of my full time job became overwhelming in 2010. I decided to take an extended break  from the game and enjoy some of my winnings with racing.

Now that my extended break is over, I feel that I have a renewed energy for the game. I really miss the strategic depth of the game and the element of personal mastery needed to overcome the inevitable variance and downswings. To put it bluntly, I miss using my brain. I also miss making money.

Over the past few months I've been ramping up my play significantly and shaving off all that rust. I've read a few books along the way that have really solidified my mental game. I recently joined Phil Galfond's new poker community Run It Once and I'm hoping to become an active member there as well. I feel that 2014 is going to be a very positive year for me at the tables.

Become a Better Badminton Player

After an 8 year hiatus from playing with the Varsity Blues in 2004, I picked up my racket again at the end of 2012. Although I've just been playing casually for the better part of a year, I really want to improve my game and start competing in tournaments again.

For the past few months I've been training with famous YouTube coach Lee Jae Bok. He's helped me improve my game a lot so far but I still have a long way to go.

I can't claim to be a good badminton player yet, and I've been struggling with a wrist injury for the better part of a year. But my plan is to keep training and improving on a weekly basis that will allow for steady improvements throughout the year. At the very least, I'll improve my fitness and health, which is a win no matter what!