A high performance athlete has to handle other issues than just practicing and competing. People like Rafael Nadal, LeBron James, Usain Bolt, Fernando Alonso and Neymar surely have the best structure possible around them, so they can focus 100% when they are playing or training in order to become the best in what they do.
My reasoning is simple: if I want to be one of the best in my sport, I must plan my professional routine and optimize my time. Here is my routine:
Morning
I wake up at 11 am and Zilda, the lady who works at my house, has already prepared breakfast. Without her, life would be way harder.
Exercise
Around 1 pm my trainer is already there for a Muay Thai. Practicing sports helps me to relieve stress and get more resistant. However, I try not to kill myself training, because I have a day of grinding ahead. It is important to have equilibrium.
Food
I finish training at 2:30 pm and, guess what, lunch is ready! Having someone handling the kitchen is so important. It is a lot easier to eat healthy. Eating well helps me concentrate on my work.
To work!
I start grinding at 3 pm and usually feel ready to play my ‘A’ game. In order to be always focused, the physical structure I created in my house helps a lot. I always start from the same spot, where I sit in my grandmother’s armchair. It is so comfortable! If in the middle of the day I want to change, there is another setup with a regular office chair, with two monitors. Later, when there are only a few tables left, I can move to the couch setup, where I can even play laying down. It is a perfect setup at the end of the day, because I feel relaxed right at the end of the grind, when fatigue starts to show up just when you are playing a final table!
More work! Really?
It is not over yet. Between all that, I have to find time to write for the PokerStars Blog, for my personal blog, record video blogs and other videos, coach, give interviews… for all that, my cousin Leonardo Brescia helps me to take care of all work outside the tables. Without Leo, I would never be able to call myself a high performance grinder.
Did you note the people around me are crucial in the process to achieve my goals as an athlete? I think it’s impossible to handle everything by yourself.
My structure can look a little too much for you, but I’m sure Neymar’s and Nadal’s are way bigger than mine. It doesn’t matter; the important thing is that the structure is what you need to get the best productivity.
At the end, it can be a losing day. Well, most days are losing days in a grinder’s life. But, if I keep my team structure working with me, I know I am doing the right thing in the long term. 2013 was there to prove me that. Coincidence? I can’t say for sure. The only thing I know is that I’ll keep things that way.
What about you? Do you still think playing poker is just about sitting down and registering? By Caio Pessagno
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