"Rather than focus on what you perceive as "wrong" in your game, or anything else, I would suggest focusing on a positive: what you are looking to accomplish, improve, change, grow, and build upon. What are you trying to accomplish? You might be trying to win more at Magic, qualify for (or win) the Pro Tour, win your FNM with an original deck, build a collection of cards, meet more people who share a common love for Magic, or be inducted into the Magic Hall of Fame. Depending on what you are trying to accomplish, your strategy could vary.

Many of these things are things that a number of very intelligent and motivated people are also dedicated to doing, and by necessity, they cannot all be successful, at least at the moment. Rather than place expectations on yourself (“I will win this tournament, or else...”) or make hollow threats and lies to yourself (“... or else I will quit Magic”), you might instead take a long view of what it is you are trying to achieve. This tournament, this FNM, this PTQ, this PT, this year... attachment to any of these things can bring suffering."

"The point is that when you are looking for direction, when you are looking to figure out what you are doing wrong, what to change to get better results, the journey starts inside you. Sam Stoddard wrote an oft-referenced Magic article that helps shine a light on a useful way of looking inside in order to understand where you personally need to go: Creating a Fearless Magical Inventory. If you have not read it, I highly recommend it. If you are stuck on a plateau, even if you have read it, you may want to consider pulling the trigger and creating your own Fearless Magical Inventory."

--Patrick Chapin, http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/misc/19885_Innovations_Getting_Your_Eyelids_Out_of_the_Way.html

It's been a pretty bad week, but I have enough excuses that I don't feel bad about it. I have been walking and doing my pushups/excruciators, so it is not a total loss. I'm ready to start it back up fresh on Monday, and the gym is open long enough that I can't even use a deadly hangover as an excuse.

We'll be doing a combine-style practice for the first week or two; get everyone comfortable and acclimated to college before the real stuff starts. Wednesdays will be fun.

I will be in the gym 5+ days a week, or at least running someplace. I want to throw a lot of frisbees one day every week because I just don't know how to throw and it would probably help if the main handler on a team knew how to throw.

I am going to ask all of the returners to make their own Fearless Ultimate Inventory and post it someplace (I will be posting mine here, on the school blag, which everyone can use if they would like, someplace in my aparment, and maybe even Facebook), but if you want to get a head start I won't tell anyone. I'll send out the message detailing the exercise along with my personal Fearless Ultimate Inventory to give everyone an idea of what it is. If you are looking to get a head start, the Magical version is linked above and my first inventory is someplace back in April I think.

There will probably be a returners team meeting someplace, but that hasn't been finalized nor even discussed. It is probably a good idea to have one, though.

Didn't pack tonight. Ate a lot of cheese and it gave me a tummy ache. Drank a lot of water. Feeling the pain of eating a whole bag of Herr's Salt and Vinegar chips.

And we won a Team Incentive Pack!

Oh wait that was last week.