The past couple of nights I have written about the importance of having a goal as it relates to this thing that we do. Tonight I want to move on to a topic that I feel is equally as important -- having a plan of action to achieve that goal. You can tell yourself that you want something all day long, but if you don't take action in the pursuit of that thing then you're always going to be left wanting. And, when it comes to betting, you might very well be left hungry.
So what is my goal, and more than that, what is my plan of action to achieve that goal? It is only fair that I am honest, as how could I expect anyone to gain anything of value from this post if I am not willing to draw from my own experiences to support the claims that I make? Someone on this forum is battling the same battle I fought ten years ago and continue to fight today. Someone on this forum has put these battles behind him. Someone on this forum has fought, or is fighting still, a battle I have yet to confront. And there is someone on this forum who has just started on what he thinks will be an easy journey to wealth. My goal, as it relates not only to sports betting but to gambling in general, is simply this: to not go broke and ruin my life. That is quite a startling contrast to anything I might have been willing to admit to anyone -- including myself -- just six months ago. In order to achieve that goal I need a plan.
As someone pointed out in response to my post yesterday, the Internet has provided an easy path to self destruction. For me, you could say it was the fuel that started the fire. In the old days I was afraid to go too far in debt to my local, not so much because I feared my legs would get broken but I didn't want people to know what a degenerate I was. I was nowhere near a brick and mortar casino where I could throw down a bet. I was limited to only what I could afford to lose, because by losing more than that would invite others into my personal affairs.
The revolution of the Internet has reached a point where everyone needs it. Tax dollars are being spent by the billions to ensure that our kids have access to it so that they can learn and so that our small communities can connect to the larger world. More and more Americans -- and those around the globe -- are finding themselves unable to remember the last time they walked to the mailbox and sent a letter, or paid a bill. Despite our economic struggles, Amazon has continued to thrive. And in the midst of this, those who have an appetite for destruction have been dealt a feast. Whether it's the gambler who can't quit betting, the spender who can't quit spending, or the.... let me stop now, as it only gets more tasteless from here. The point here is that for all it's worth, the Internet has opened up avenues that had never been available before.
So where does the Internet compute into my plan of not going broke? Why not simply disconnect the Internet, or better still, why not stop gambling altogether? As I said the other night, this is something that will always be there. Could I stop now, never place another wager in my life? No. Why not? Because I don't want to. This is my thing. I have to learn how to deal with it. I have to take control of it and not let it be in control of me. It is so much more enjoyable when you quit on your terms, knowing that not only will it be there tomorrow, it will only be there if you want it to be.
Psychologists say that there are "triggers" that lead to the behavior that cause one to do things that are outside of one's best interests. I agree with this. And we know what these things are whether we admit it or not. You already know when you place a wager larger than you are comfortable with and it loses, you are going to come back and fire again. You already know that if you're sitting around the house with nothing to do that you're eventually going to find yourself placing a bet. You already know that when you're frustrated with life in general that you're going to find yourself back on the firing line. If a trigger is that thing which causes us to act in a way that is detrimental to our well-being -- whether physical or mental -- then the mouse is the outlet we use to fire off the bullet. These are the things that stand in the way of our goal and we need to have a plan to combat them.
The plan is not the system of betting, the angles or trends that we're following or the handicappers we're tailing. Those things will always be a 50/50 proposition. The plan is to ensure that we keep ourselves in the game long enough to enjoy those days which are good.
So what is my goal, and more than that, what is my plan of action to achieve that goal? It is only fair that I am honest, as how could I expect anyone to gain anything of value from this post if I am not willing to draw from my own experiences to support the claims that I make? Someone on this forum is battling the same battle I fought ten years ago and continue to fight today. Someone on this forum has put these battles behind him. Someone on this forum has fought, or is fighting still, a battle I have yet to confront. And there is someone on this forum who has just started on what he thinks will be an easy journey to wealth. My goal, as it relates not only to sports betting but to gambling in general, is simply this: to not go broke and ruin my life. That is quite a startling contrast to anything I might have been willing to admit to anyone -- including myself -- just six months ago. In order to achieve that goal I need a plan.
As someone pointed out in response to my post yesterday, the Internet has provided an easy path to self destruction. For me, you could say it was the fuel that started the fire. In the old days I was afraid to go too far in debt to my local, not so much because I feared my legs would get broken but I didn't want people to know what a degenerate I was. I was nowhere near a brick and mortar casino where I could throw down a bet. I was limited to only what I could afford to lose, because by losing more than that would invite others into my personal affairs.
The revolution of the Internet has reached a point where everyone needs it. Tax dollars are being spent by the billions to ensure that our kids have access to it so that they can learn and so that our small communities can connect to the larger world. More and more Americans -- and those around the globe -- are finding themselves unable to remember the last time they walked to the mailbox and sent a letter, or paid a bill. Despite our economic struggles, Amazon has continued to thrive. And in the midst of this, those who have an appetite for destruction have been dealt a feast. Whether it's the gambler who can't quit betting, the spender who can't quit spending, or the.... let me stop now, as it only gets more tasteless from here. The point here is that for all it's worth, the Internet has opened up avenues that had never been available before.
So where does the Internet compute into my plan of not going broke? Why not simply disconnect the Internet, or better still, why not stop gambling altogether? As I said the other night, this is something that will always be there. Could I stop now, never place another wager in my life? No. Why not? Because I don't want to. This is my thing. I have to learn how to deal with it. I have to take control of it and not let it be in control of me. It is so much more enjoyable when you quit on your terms, knowing that not only will it be there tomorrow, it will only be there if you want it to be.
Psychologists say that there are "triggers" that lead to the behavior that cause one to do things that are outside of one's best interests. I agree with this. And we know what these things are whether we admit it or not. You already know when you place a wager larger than you are comfortable with and it loses, you are going to come back and fire again. You already know that if you're sitting around the house with nothing to do that you're eventually going to find yourself placing a bet. You already know that when you're frustrated with life in general that you're going to find yourself back on the firing line. If a trigger is that thing which causes us to act in a way that is detrimental to our well-being -- whether physical or mental -- then the mouse is the outlet we use to fire off the bullet. These are the things that stand in the way of our goal and we need to have a plan to combat them.
The plan is not the system of betting, the angles or trends that we're following or the handicappers we're tailing. Those things will always be a 50/50 proposition. The plan is to ensure that we keep ourselves in the game long enough to enjoy those days which are good.
