For years I tried to improve every aspect of my game at once. I studied GTO, worked on my leaks, experimented with different styles, read every book I could find. I jumped between different buy-ins and fields without any real plan. The result? Slow progress and constant frustration.

The turning point came when I realized something simple: I can't be good at everything - and I don't need to be.

1. I Mapped My Strengths and Weaknesses

Instead of trying to learn everything, I sat down and mapped it out: What am I good at? What's average? What's weak? Then I built a plan that maximizes my strengths instead of trying to fix everything.

I discovered I'm aggressive, fast, and thrive in bounty tournaments. I accepted my weaknesses - I'm impatient, and long tournaments don't suit me. Instead of fighting against it, I built my game around it.

Seligman wrote about this in "Authentic Happiness" - those who focus on their strengths achieve better results than those who try to fix their weaknesses.

2. I Stopped Comparing Myself to Others

Some players crush tournaments with two-hour levels. Others dominate cash games. I'm not one of them, and I'm fine with that. Instead of trying to be someone else, I built a strategy around what actually works for me.

I wasted a lot of time and money on formats that weren't right for me - multi-day tournaments, slow structures, fields and buy-ins that just didn't fit. Once I stopped forcing it, everything changed.

Leon Festinger's research on social comparison shows that when you compare yourself to others, you end up running a race that isn't yours. I stopped comparing. I stopped playing someone else's game.

3. I Set Clear Boundaries

How many hours can I play before my performance drops? At which stakes am I actually profitable? In which formats? Not what I want to believe - what the data actually shows.

I learned I need variety - I can't be stuck inside a casino all day. I need good sleep, physical activity, and stable energy to play my best. These boundaries aren't weaknesses - they're competitive advantages.

Baumeister's research on willpower shows it's a limited resource. When you understand your limits, you stop wasting energy on things that don't pay off.

4. I Focused on My Niche

Instead of being "average at everything," I became really good at specific formats. My earnings went up when I started playing smarter instead of playing more - the right games, at the right times, playing to my strengths.

The results spoke for themselves: I went from €100 buy-ins to €1,500 buy-ins. I held chip leads in Barcelona, Rozvadov, and Campione in Italy. Not because I became a different player - but because I finally played as who I actually am.

This lesson applies beyond poker. When people come to me for coaching, one of the first things we do is map out who they really are - not who they think they should be.