Hey everyone! Phil here again.
Last week I told you about my "moment of light" and that magical list of goals I wrote in my 20s. But here's what I didn't tell you. What happens after you actually achieve everything you set out to do? Because let me tell you, checking off every single goal on your list is both the best and most terrifying feeling in the world.
When Success Becomes the Problem
Picture this: It's 2004, Harper Collins calls to tell me "Play Poker Like the Pros" just hit the New York Times bestseller list. I'm sitting there holding the phone, and suddenly I realize holy shit, I did it. Every single thing on that list was now complete.
Won the Main Event? Check. (Did that in '89, by the way as the youngest winner ever at the time.) Married an amazing woman? Check. Bought a house? Check. New York Times bestseller? Check, check, check.
You'd think I'd be over the moon, right? Instead, I felt completely lost. It's like that old saying, be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it all. When you spend years chasing goals and suddenly there's nothing left to chase, it's honestly a little terrifying.
The Goal-Setting Evolution
That's when I learned the most important lesson about success: you don't just achieve goals and then coast. You reset, you dream bigger, you push the boundaries of what you thought was possible.
After 1993, when I won three bracelets in one year (which was insane at the time), I sat down and completely rewrote my vision. I wanted to be the greatest poker player of all time, and I knew it was completely possible. Not just win tournaments, but dominate them in a way that would make people remember my name decades later.
Your goals should scare you a little bit. If they don't make you think "Holy crap, can I actually pull this off?" then you're not thinking big enough.
The Business Side Nobody Talks About
Here's something most people don't know about me: while I was building my poker legacy, I was also learning how to be a businessman. And let me tell you, the skills transfer in ways you wouldn't expect.
I've now advised 32 companies. Thirty-two! Each one taught me something different about reading people, managing risk, and making decisions under pressure. When you're reading a CEO's body language during a call, poker teaches you to spot the tells that spreadsheets can't show.
My current SPAC is in the AI chip space. Fourth one I've been involved with, and honestly, the due diligence process feels a lot like studying opponents before a big tournament. You're looking for tells, for patterns, for what people aren't saying as much as what they are.
The Home Front Reality Check
But here's the one thing that keeps me grounded—my wife of 36 years. She's the one who found that original goal list two years after I wrote it, and she's also the one who reminds me when I'm getting a little too full of myself.
And you know what? She's usually right. Success means nothing if you can't handle the basics of being a decent human being. That's probably why our marriage has lasted through everything. The early years, the ups and downs of tournament poker, the business ventures, all of it.
These days, I'm watching both my sons take their own shot at professional poker. It's fascinating and terrifying as a parent. On one hand, I know this game inside and out so I can teach them things that took me years to figure out. On the other hand, they need to find their own path, make their own mistakes.
It's like watching someone learn to drive. You can teach them the rules of the road, but eventually they need to get behind the wheel and figure out how to handle a skid on their own.
The Positivity Framework
All of this led me to write the book "Positivity”. Eight life tips that basically map out how I approach goal-setting, success, and staying grounded. It's not just about poker or business; it's about how you structure your thinking when you want to achieve something big.
One of the key principles is this: meditation and clear thinking at the top of the pyramid, everything else flows from there. When your mind is clear, when you're thinking straight, the rest becomes much easier to manage.
What's Next for Me (And You)
So where do I go from here? Well, I'm 60-something years old, I've got more money than I ever dreamed of, and I've achieved things I never thought possible. The easy thing would be to just coast, play some poker, enjoy retirement.
But that's not who I am. I'm working on new business ventures, still competing at the highest levels, and now I'm here sharing what I've learned with all of you. Because honestly, what's the point of figuring all this stuff out if you don't pass it along?
My current goals? They're bigger and scarier than anything I wrote down in that dingy apartment back in '87. And that's exactly how I like it.
The Real Message
Here's what I want you to take from this: whatever you're chasing right now, whatever goals you've set for yourself—don't be afraid to dream bigger once you get there. Success isn't a destination; it's a launching pad for the next level.
And remember, it's not just about achieving the goals. It's about who you become in the process of chasing them. Stay grounded, treat people well, and remember that at the end of the day, we're all just people playing the same game called life.
Next week, I'll tell you about the time I almost got into a fistfight with a casino owner in Vegas. Trust me, it's a good one.
Keep dreaming big,
Phil
Solid advice - the Home Front Reality check is spot on!