Improving In The Micros + Playing Professionally

I have been reading around the internet lately trying to pick up some tips from big winning pros about how to improve and get better. After some time searching I managed to find a nice free webinar from Tri Nguyen where he is promoting his new book "How I made my first million from poker" (if you scroll down you can watch for yourselves)

Improving In The Micros

• Become the best button player at your stakes - by this I assume Tri means to be basically a pain in the ass on the button. You want to have a healthy 3bet % but also want to be flatting a decent amount and playing some post flop poker. Tri emphasises post flop poker where he states the fact he doesn't actually coach pre flop in his 1 to 1 sessions. So you want to be playing aggressively in position on people, controlling the pot, pushing people off hands etc he says to aim to double your button win rate! now I'm not sure how feasible that is but improving it is a definite. Think how you feel when a button is being annoying and you're in the cut off, that is how you want to be perceived!
• Play a lot of hands - this doesn't mean play 50/45 at the tables it refers to volume! The more volume you get in the more you will improve and familiarise yourself with spots where you are uncomfortable
• Write Down Improvements - this will be mentioned again later in the post but basically set a goal for what you are trying to achieve. Whether it be session goal or weekly goal or even monthly, if you want to improve your 3betting, cbetting, post flop aggression then look for spots to do that, review and then figure how you have improved, then move onto the next!
• Playing wide from the blinds - simply just playing a wide range from the blinds and seeing how villains react to post flop aggression, find out who responds bad and pound them and who adjusts well (raising air, checking back, flatting) then don't do it to those!

Tri's webinar then goes on to explain further thoughts on playing professionally or how to improve as a general poker player.

• water - drinking water before you play to help keep your mind focused
• sleep - rest is very important
• warm up - you need to be looking at hand histories, videos, blogs etc something to get you thinking about poker before you sit down and actually play! Only has to be ~20 mins!
• Clear your mind - this relates to doing jobs you have to get done on the day before you play so your mind isn't worried about having to get to the shops before they close or doing laundry before the missus gets back etc
• breaks - you must have a regular break, suggested every hour to just get up maybe refill drink check the forums

So you've probably heard those a thousand times before, however these next two I found were very interesting...

• quit when you lose, grind when you win - I've heard this before but not to the extent that Tri explains it. He gives the example of Phil Ivey arguably the best player in the world who apparently just quits when he loses 2 buy ins or at least stops the session. However when he's running hot he will grind and grind and grind! He goes on to say how we sometimes have huge losing days where we drop like 10BIs but these are more likely to happen than a 10BI winning day because our play changes when we know we are down, tilt factors in etc so use a stop/loss but only a losing stop loss, when you win just keep on grinding!
• keep a poker journal - this relates to the learning aspect of getting out of the micros. note down what you have learnt , what you're struggling with etc so you can note common themes. Write down how you feel, how you played , how you are running, so you can turn back and look at things you are doing when you're going through a rough patch and alter them to when you were winning! I will be doing this and trying to note down exact hours im playing because HEM hours aren't accurate!

this is getting long so I best end it ! peace guys!