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Goals

Goals transform your vague ambitions into concrete action plans. Poker Toolkit uses a structured 3-step method (WHAT, WHY, HOW) combined with a high/low goal framework to avoid the all-or-nothing trap.

Why Set Goals?

Without clear goals:

  • You don't know if you're progressing
  • You lack long-term motivation
  • You can't measure your success

With structured goals:

  • Clear direction: you know where you're going
  • Sustained motivation: you see your progress
  • Measurability: you know if you're succeeding

The High/Low Goal Framework

Each goal has two targets to prevent discouragement.

High Goal (Ambitious target)

Your ideal target. E.g., "Work on my poker 8h/week"

Low Goal (Minimum target)

Your acceptable minimum. E.g., "Work on my poker 3h/week"

Why This Approach?

The all-or-nothing trap:

  • Single goal: 8h/week
  • Difficult week: you do 4h
  • Result: "I failed" 😞

The high/low advantage:

  • High: 8h, Low: 3h
  • Difficult week: you do 4h
  • Result: "I exceeded my minimum!" 😊

The low goal prevents paralyzing perfectionism.

Creating a Goal: 3 Steps

Step 1: WHAT? (Definition)

  • Title: The goal in one sentence
  • High Goal: Ambitious target
  • Low Goal: Acceptable minimum
  • Deadline: Target date

Example:

  • Title: "Master the 6 preflop positions"
  • High Goal: "95%+ accuracy on all positions"
  • Low Goal: "85%+ accuracy on UTG, CO, BTN, BB"
  • Deadline: "December 31, 2026"

Step 2: WHY? (Motivation)

Why is this goal important to you?

Connect the goal to your deep values. Reread this reason when you lose motivation.

Example:

"I want to master preflop ranges to stop losing money on my UTG opens and be able to move up to NL10 without getting exploited."

Step 3: HOW? (Action Plan)

Starting Point

Where are you currently?

Steps

List of concrete and measurable actions:

  • ☐ Create my 6 grids in Poker Toolkit
  • ☐ Learn each grid with Learn mode
  • ☐ Achieve 90%+ accuracy in Draw mode
  • ☐ Review 1x/week for 1 month

Obstacles

Anticipate difficulties:

  • ☐ Lack of time → block 30min/day in the morning
  • ☐ Boredom → gamify with a friend

Tracking Your Goals

Goal Card

Each goal displays:

  • Title
  • Progress bar (X/Y steps)
  • Checkboxes to check off steps
  • Archive/restore button

Archiving

Never delete your goals, archive them:

  • Keeps history of your successes
  • Allows reactivation if needed

Archive when:

  • Goal completed
  • No longer relevant (priority change)

Free vs Premium

FeatureFreePremium
View existing goals❌ No✅ Yes
Create new goals❌ No✅ Unlimited
Edit goals❌ No✅ Unlimited
Check off steps❌ No✅ Yes
Archive/Restore❌ No✅ Yes

Your goals remain saved even if your subscription expires.

Integration with AI Coaching

AI Coaching can:

Create goals:

  • You: "I want to improve my preflop"
  • Coach: Structures the goal (high/low, steps) and creates it directly

Update:

  • You: "I finished step 1"
  • Coach: Checks off the step, congratulates, suggests next steps

Analyze:

  • "You completed 3/5 steps, well done!"
  • "Your low goal is reached, aim for the high now"

Example:

  • You: "I want to become better mentally"
  • Coach: "That's too vague. Goal: High = 0 tilt sessions in 1 month, Low = max 2 light tilt sessions?"
  • You: "OK"
  • Coach: creates the goal with concrete steps

Concrete Use Cases

Financial Goal with BRM

  • Title: "Reach €500 bankroll"
  • High Goal: "€550 in 3 months"
  • Low Goal: "€450 in 3 months"
  • Steps: Calculate winrate, play 15k hands/month, review leaks weekly
  • Obstacles: Downswing → check BRM. Lack of time → min 500 hands/week

Technical Goal on Ranges

  • Title: "Master 6-max preflop ranges"
  • High Goal: "95%+ accuracy on 6 positions"
  • Low Goal: "85%+ accuracy on 4 positions"
  • Steps: Create grids, learn with Learn, test with Draw, review weekly

Anti-Tilt Mental Goal

  • Title: "Eliminate tilt"
  • High Goal: "0 tilt sessions for 1 month"
  • Low Goal: "Max 2 light tilt sessions"
  • Steps: Create 3 mental leaks, define A/B/C Game, pre-session protocol

Usage Tips

Creation:

  • Start with 1-2 goals maximum
  • Be specific: "Play 10,000 hands" > "Play more"
  • Realistic deadline

Reason (WHY):

  • Connect to deep values
  • Reread when motivation drops

Steps:

  • Prefer "Play 5000 hands" to "Win €1000" (you control one, not the other)
  • Break down into micro-steps to celebrate often

Tracking:

  • Weekly review: check off steps
  • Monthly adjustment if ahead/behind

Goals are your progression GPS. Without them, you wander. With them, you move forward. Create your first goal now.