What Happened in January 2021

January was the laziest month I've had for about a year. I played 10 sessions for just 30 hours, small profit for the month, took a nice beach vacation, went out to restaurants more, traded some crypto, played and cashed one online tournament, played lots of City Skylines (PC game).

After all the hard grinding months I think I deserve a lazy month. But I will start to grind more again starting February. Man's gotta eat! January was a month of ups and downs. Not just financially, but emotionally as well. As I have let go of 2020 and all that happened, it seems people are still talking about what I did or did not do. As I look back, all I can say is I did the best I could given the circumstances. Sure I made mistakes but I had to make big decisions on the fly, most of the time to help my friends but somehow it came back to sting me. But I'm done explaining myself to people. Those who consider me their friend should be able to see things from my perspective. 

I wasn't too keen to go to Koh Rong Sanloem but after being in Cambodia for 2 years I said to myself I am going to go at least once otherwise I might regret it. The trip turned out to be a pleasant getaway in spite of the long ride to and fro. Bumped into a friend of all places and had a good few days of R&R. The water was clean and nice, white sandy beaches, and made a few new friends.

God is the best artist

My new friends at the hotel

Now that I have more time for myself, I am trying to take care of my body. I played football maybe 8 times this past month, although I could have played more. I've never been good at playing football, plus I was severely out of shape, so I made some mistakes on the pitch. I heard a French guy call me "stupid" and he was on my team. Sometimes people can be so mean. It's just a fucking game. But there are also nice guys who would encourage me. 

Those who know me well will know that I am a foodie so I've finally had time to go out and try some restaurants, and time to cook and bake at home as well. So even with new exercise regime and intermittent fasting, the weight hasn't gone down by much yet. LOL. 

Home made biscuits

The only thing I miss about Vietnam

Looking back I remember last March I was watching in horror as we hit 1 million COVID cases. I remember feeling how significant that number was. Today the number is 103 million. I am learning to be thankful and realizing how miniscule and insignificant we are in this universe. 

New Year Resolutions

Somehow it seems every year is okay but doesn't end well so come January I am always at the crossroads deciding my next move. In 2018 I had a great year on the tournament circuit, won two titles, finished third in a high roller for my biggest career cash in Oct, then Nov-Dec I was agonisingly close to a WSOP ME run and lost big on $35 a point OFC. 2019 I had a good year playing private cash games, went to play a big tournament and finished 4th (also in Oct) but then bricked out Nov-Dec and cash games dried up. 2020 I was running and winning at a profitable business. Nov I started losing and after a lot of drama I was out of the business.

2021 is going to be another very interesting year. I really don't know where it will lead me so it is really hard to decide what my resolutions are going to be. I have learned so much in 2020, about myself, about others, about the world, about values, about what's truly important. It was a path that I had to go through, putting in the hard work and having it taken away from me. Because maybe it wasn't mine to begin with. Or it was just given to me for me to learn my lessons. And I truly believe I have come away a better man.

Another crossroads of my life

Whatever happens, poker is still going to be a big part of my life. I haven't played a lot of Holdem in 2020 and I feel that I am not on top of my game. Maybe years of soft super aggro private games has changed me into this passive, nut hunting, marginal hero calling style which probably doesn't work as well in most other games. So I think 1) Improve my poker skills. I don't want to say study because I know how lazy I am, but I will try to study more. I guess improving my skills also include reviewing my ranges, sizing, observing others, cleaning up my fundamentals, improving my control, etc.

Health should be a top priority this year. There was a death in the family last year, my mum had a Covid scare and my body is sending me warning signs. Honestly I have a great life and I want to live as long as I can. so 2) Be healthier. My theme this year is to be vague with my resolutions LOL. But health means eating better, exercise more, maybe start taking more supplements. I haven't had soda in a long time, and last year I have taken out a lot of processed foods from my diet. I ain't going vegetarian but I do want to have more fruits and vege. 

Some say rest is good for health too

Giving and helping people is what got me here. It will always be a part of me and my principles. I just watched a movie called All Saints and it made me cry so many times. I have toiled so hard in 2020 working every single day without rest. But that was to help myself. I really can see myself working as hard if not harder, like the guy in the movie to help others in need. But at the moment I haven't seen that opportunity or have that calling. Until then financial help seems to be the most practical. 3) Give 10% of my income 

I've never met any of them but I am glad I could help
(And don't ask me why they call me Peter. It's a long story)

It is unlikely there will be any live tournaments in 2021, and I don't enjoy playing online, so I imagine my main source of income is still live cash games. But the Covid storm is also a time of opportunities. There are cheap businesses to snap up, or potential new services and goods that are suddenly in higher demand. So 4) Look for a new project to work on. In 2020 I have proven my business and marketing skills as well as people skills are still sharp. Would be a shame not to use them. 

I look forward to the new challenges 2021 will throw at me. If anything I also learned from 2020 is that life is full of surprises. You'll never know what will happen. Continue to be positive, do good, work hard, and even if things don't go my way, I can hold my head high and be proud of myself. Set yourself goals and resolutions to become a better version of yourself. What are your passions? How can you contribute to society and the betterment of the world? And share those goals with others because we can be your motivation to achieve them. Like you are to me.