Keep getting better.
This is how you succeed at Magic and, conveniently enough, life. Keep growing, learning, exploring, expanding your brain with new thoughts and ideas.
Inch by inch, day by day, like it or not, we add onto ourselves. Sometimes the process is slow, sometimes we even slide away from where we want to be. The
road of improvement is never a straight upward sloping line. It is a chaotic scribble with sudden spikes and drops. Periods of stagnation and sudden bursts
of insight.
This process happens naturally, but we can also shape our ability to get better and even improve ourselves with intention. Get better at getting better.
So how do we keep our progress graphs trending upward the majority of the time? How do we get our base stats to maximum and our INT to 18 and beyond?
A good place to start is by fixing what we don’t like about ourselves or know to be bad. Eliminating weaknesses and not repeating the same mistakes over
and over. Sam Stoddard’s timeless article about
Creating a Fearless Magical Inventory
is a great place to start. I wanted to continue along this same train of thought and suggest some advanced ideas for improving your Magic game. Or perhaps
I should say improving my Magic game.
I’ve been making more mistakes than I’d like recently, sometimes very basic ones. I hold myself to a high standard of play and have been slacking, so I’m
writing this in attempt to squash what’s been holding me back.
Some of the issues I’ve had:
– Being a little lazy, sloppy, and unmotivated. Complacent with just treading water.
– Not practicing enough.
– Not exercising or eating right.
– Getting frustrated when I lose.
– Going through the motions on autopilot instead of getting into a flow state and creatively solving gamestates.
– Letting my mind wander in unproductive ways.
– Playing subpar decks when I know there are better options.
– Not staying hungry and embracing my killer instinct.
You can’t win em’ all. I’ve had a great year, but I know when I’m struggling to play well. Even a little slump can turn into a big problem if left
unattended, and I want to be running at peak performance whenever possible. I want to win. I’m writing this for myself, to tune up on some basics and hone
in on some insights. Hopefully these ideas will help you as well.
So let’s go and climb out of the pit of muck and mediocrity and accelerate into a period of rapid improvement and smooth sailing straight to the moon.
If you feel these ideas will help you become a better Magic player, I recommend printing them out and keeping them as bathroom reading so you can reflect
on them from time to time. I know I will be!
1. Adopt a Growth Mindet
Shift your frame of mind. Instead of making a mistake, you’re learning. Losing is actually just learning in disguise. Every mistake may be painful, but it
is also a gift. It is a chance to improve by making it easier to not make that same mistake in the future. Never flinch away after making a mistake, or out
of fear from making a mistake. Accept it and move on. It only exists in the past and what matters is the present.
You will make every mistake you don’t know about at least once if you play long enough.
You can get better and you will get better the more you play. Everything is practice.
You will be wrong. Guaranteed. Don’t try and run from it. Embrace the good side of a mistake instead of the bad.
You will never stop learning, never stop improving.
Don’t chastise yourself or put yourself down. Forgive yourself.
Don’t berate others, or lord their errors over them or it will only be a matter of time before they are doing the same to you.
Are you the type of person that keeps loose hands? You don’t have to be if you let go of that identity. Notice the next time you are about to keep a bad
hand that you know you should mulligan. Take a moment and instead of saying “keep,” say “mulligan” instead.
Stop repeating the same mistakes and eventually there will be few mistakes left for you to make. You will weave your experience into a web that is able to
catch similar looking mistakes before they even happen.
Top players are very good at catching mistakes they make, usually even as they happen. When they are playing well, they will be able to catch them before
they happen and quickly change them into the correct move. If their game is off, they will usually notice their mistakes just after they make a play, when
it’s already too late. The key to success or being in the zone is when your brain is usually suggesting good plays and able to see mistakes just far enough
in advance to correct them.
Believe that you can keep getting better, work towards it, and you will get better. You are capable of excellence if you work hard.
2. Take Responsibility
No more complaining. Is complaining ever useful? Nope. Then we don’t need it.
Don’t go around loudly proclaiming that you lost your last match to mana screw, a mulligan to three, the worst luck you’ve ever seen, and that the whole
universe is out to take you down a peg. No one is judging you because you lost a match of Magic. It happens all the time.
You should’ve played around it.
You are responsible for your wins, your losses, your feelings, and your life.
You didn’t lose because you’re stupid or a bad person, and you shouldn’t feel bad about losing.
If you want to get better, you work hard. The only way is the hard way. Blood, sweat, and tears. Good player = lots of time and effort put into Magic.
You really should’ve played around it that time. No biggie though. Next time we won’t make that same mistake.
You misplayed and lost a game, match, or tournament. What are you gonna do, get mad and give up? Screw that! Keep going.
3. Luck? What’s That?
It might be contradictory, but you are at the mercy of luck and still in control of everything that is important. You are a leaf in the wind, and a slave
to which way the wind blows, but once you are able to accept that, you can learn to ride the breeze and realize it is already taking you wherever you need
to go.
How many tournaments has luck been the only factor for eliminating you? It is my opinion that the majority of tournaments you enter are winnable if you do
everything nearly perfect. Believe that each and every tournament you enter is winnable if you play your cards right.
You may lose games, matches, even tournaments to random elements, but that is unimportant. You can’t control everything. Welcome to Magic. The issue is
most people ignore what’s important (the stuff you can control) and focus on what you can’t control (bad draws, bad matchups).
There is no such thing as an unlucky player or a lucky one. Luck will mostly average out over time, and we have no way of measuring anyways. Also, who
cares?
Laugh in the face of bad luck. It’s more enjoyable and makes you look nuts. Bad luck is the universe’s way of making things fair for the other players by
giving you a handicap, since you’re so damn awesome.
Think of yourself as a lucky person. It’s better to live as a positive person. You will also become luckier by not missing opportunities when they come
along. Confidence is a good thing, and you also get to be humble at the same time, since you just happen to have all these great results since you’re a
lucky person.
Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice.
Practice is the most important thing. Play sideboarded games, test specific matchups, play lots of games with the deck you are playing at the tournament.
Most importantly though, just play lots of Magic and focus on playing your best game.
You get much faster with a deck the more practice you put in. This means less draws and more time to think about the correct or creative plays. Your
opponents will be moving in slow motion, and you can devote more time to figuring out what they’re thinking.
I admit that was horrible luck and he went runner runner, but you still could’ve, some might even say should’ve, played around it.
4. Perfect the Little Things
Perfectionism isn’t realistic, but it’s what we strive for. Once you have the basics down, the bigger stuff comes easier and it’s less drain on your brain.
Make sure you have everything you need for a tournament. Dice, lifepad, tokens, pens, sleeves, whatever.
Double-check your decklist. Always.
Know the mechanics and basic scenarios of your deck off by heart so you can go through the motions quickly.
Brush up on the rules and set release notes from time to time.
Maintain your body. Eat, drink, and relieve yourself between rounds. Easy to ignore and potentially devastating when you don’t.
Go to bed early and get lots of sleep. If you have trouble sleeping before a big tournament do something to fix this. Sleep aids, meditation, ear plugs,
sleep mask, etc.
Your body affects your mind. The better shape you’re in, the longer you’ll be able to sit and think hard. My body is a Temple. I scry 1 as soon as I sit
down to start a match.
It’s all one big tangled web. All the little things add up to matter a great deal.
That time you really shouldn’t have played around it, since if he had it, you were gonna lose anyway.
5. Respect Your Opponents
You have no divine right to win.
Don’t be afraid to “netdeck,” ask for advice, or play a simple deck.
Don’t snub or put down a deck or strategy, especially if it’s good enough to beat you.
Once you understand your opponents, you are able to play one level above them easier.
In general, give players a good amount of credit. Weak bluffs will not usually work. Subtlety when bluffing is a good thing, especially when used against
observant opponents. Your opponent is not dumb.
Check your mental state regularly and ask for advice regularly. You will not notice all your misplays. Did your opponent pull a move or make a play that
got you? Consider munching it up and adding it to your arsenal.
Don’t be rude. That’s no fun for anyone.
Help others. Share ideas. At the very least, teach your opponents with a thorough trouncing.
6. Know Your Goal
Don’t get complacent. If you are playing in a tournament, your main intention is to win the whole thing. You are already there playing, why not do your
best and win the whole thing?
Deck preference is all well and good, but the best deck you feel you’ll do best with (or win the tournament with) is what you should be playing.
Focus on the game you’re playing right now. Not your losses or how many rounds are left and that you have to win them all to Top 8. Just the moment.
Fire and Ice. Winning is a great accomplishment. Losing isn’t all that bad.
Living in the past is so easy. It’s comfy if you remember a good memory and engrossing to chew on bad memories when you can reshape them and create new
realities. It’s easy to get trapped in your mind as it sucks you in while your imagination runs wild. Your memories and projections of the future are
almost always a distraction in a Magic tournament. In a heads up battle between imagination and reality, reality always wins because imagination is just a
little slice of an idea that goes poof as soon as you reenter reality. The present moment is what’s important.
Embrace your losses. Notice that you lost and don’t worry, pull out of it and start winning.
Intend to win the tournament. Expect to win the tournament.
If your intent is to have fun, simply enjoy the moment. If your intent is to win, then win. If your intent is to do both (recommended) then do both.
You are a champion. (One who probably should’ve played around that.)
7. Magic is a Game
Magic is love, Magic is life. Magic is a game, life is a game.
What would you do if you had a billion dollars? You’d probably still play Magic. Magic is fun.
Enjoy the journey. You have everything you need to be happy and successful right now.
Imagine what it’s like playing purely for fun, perhaps like you did as a child. Try and capture that spirit from time to time.
Play eventually becomes work if you let it. Notice when you are blocked from playing your best or not having fun. Recognize when you need a break or to
change something.
It’s easy to forget you’re playing a game when you’re locked in a struggle for (tournament) life or death. Relax. What happens on the battlefield isn’t all
that important in the grand scheme of things.
Become immersed in playing whenever possible. You will play better and have a more enjoyable experience when you get caught up just having fun playing the
game.
You will not stop existing if you aren’t winning tournaments. You are not forced to put up strong results.
The last tip is a very powerful technique. It is hidden in plain view, easy to practice, and you’ve probably already heard about it. The thing is very few
people ever do it. I really shouldn’t be sharing it, since it’s so powerful… but I will anyway. You can do it right now: Relax. Take three deeps
breathes.
In…
Out…
In…
Out…
In…
Out…
Look around with a smile on your face and appreciate how lucky you are. Do this whenever you notice an opportunity to do so.
Three deeps breathes. Appreciate the moment. Feels good man.