Why do i start daydreaming when I try to learn something by reading?
 

i have many poker books (ie: pot limit by reuben, theory of poker by Slansky, Harrington on Holdem, etc) just collecting dust.

I start to read them. after like 10 pages, my mind wanders to something else, like the movie opening this week, or i'm James Bond outwitting bad guys, or other stupid fantasy stuff. for every 15 min i read, i spend 30 min daydreaming.

I want to learn to do better, but yet i cant get myself to concentrate on reading. and it's not just poker. It's ANYTHING. even with a magazine article that more than 1 page long i start daydreaming about something else.

But yet if i'm learning with someone else (ie: taking a class with a teacher in front of me spoon feeding me the info), i do GREAT. I have BS in Computer Engineering and a MS in Management.

I also can't do online learning. I need someone in front of me.

So why do i have problems learning by myself? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

And any suggestions on how to overcome it since there arent any live poker classes in my area.

THX!

Re: Why do i start daydreaming when I try to learn something by readin
 

You probably have some level of ADD.

Re: Why do i start daydreaming when I try to learn something by readin
 

Sounds like you're an aural learner. Have you tried reading aloud? What about dvd's and other non-textual aids?

Re: Why do i start daydreaming when I try to learn something by readin
 

Agree, same problem here, a real problem during med school. If you don't want to try drugs, develop intense short term session learning ability, crapper reading, flash cards etc. I suggest understanding and using ADD as I view it is an asset in many ways, rather than fighting it, especially in game playing situations.

Re: Why do i start daydreaming when I try to learn something by readin
 

i have add too, and i'm wondering how you use it to your advantage in poker...

fascinating...

Re: Why do i start daydreaming when I try to learn something by readin
 

Re: Why do i start daydreaming when I try to learn something by readin
 

Heres what I think. You have a BS in CE and a MS in management so you pretty damn smart. You learned poker and have made a good number of posts so you understand poker very well. You read these books because everyone says too but when you read them you daydream because your reading stuff you allready know.

Re: Why do i start daydreaming when I try to learn something by readin
 

[ QUOTE ]
Heres what I think. You have a BS in CE and a MS in management so you pretty damn smart. You learned poker and have made a good number of posts so you understand poker very well. You read these books because everyone says too but when you read them you daydream because your reading stuff you allready know.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's an interesting take. It sounds like he might be bored.

To the OP...

Do you enjoy playing? What benefits do you get from playing?

Are you playing at a level that's not challenging you enough to give you incentive to learn more?

OK, enough questions. When I was in school I had problems studying outside the classroom. When I was in class I was a sponge. I took in everything said by everyone.

In business I always enjoyed talking/planning sessions. Interaction with peers kept my creative juices going. Meetings with customers were pure joy. Negotiations were my finest times.

Online poker drives me nuts. I have to have the B&M table, cards and chips, along with my oponents.

What this has to do with your situation, I have no clue. Maybe my rambling will help.

g/l

Re: Why do i start daydreaming when I try to learn something by readin
 

First off, ADD is a myth

Secondly paying attention and focusing is a skill, it doesn't just happen, you have to PAY as in spend energy on your attention, your attention requires energy (wonder why the drug they use to medicate is SPEED?)

Information doesn't just flow through your eyeballs and in to your memory, you have to put an effort in to making the information relevant, which is one reason why teachers help so much, you are paying this person to be interested in the subject for you, and in turn you can just feed of their energy instead of putting effort in yourself, "I'm in class to learn", there is nothing to distract you and you know your purpose.

Now when you're at home, what have you spent the magority of your life doing alone at home? daydreaming, goofing off, games, it's become commonplace, routine, when your at home, your mind is expecting these activities to happen so they do, unless you put effort in to blocking them out.

Pills will help for a little while, but thats the easy way out and you don't really need them.

When you're reading and begin daydreaming, you have to put effort in to stopping yourself mid sentence as soon as you realize that you are not paying attention, go back to the last place you remember being focused, tell yourself that your going to pay attention and reread whatever you skipped.

Practice this skill, it's not uncommon for people to be easily distracted in this world where there are dozens of things designed to catch our attention everywhere we go it's easy to put your mind on autopilot then believe that something is wrong with you when you can't pay attention, you just haven't practiced enough.

Re: Why do i start daydreaming when I try to learn something by readin
 

Sry J Chap just got back, so if you are still around: People with ADD are capable of paradoxical intense submersion into tasks, ie I've always done well on standardized tests, I hate the idea of taking them but after the first question I'm quite unaware of outside circumstances and before I know it 4 or 6 hrs or gone, I feel the same way playing poker. I think many ADDers have a great ability of free association and can use this in gaming to keep opponents from predicting your behavior, and because I can't keep these damn numbers in my head I compensate by watching the players more and trying to develop any information I can. I work in a field that is dominated by newtonians and obsessive compulsives, and I haven't been able to deep an organized clean desk since first grade, but I do fine because I can answer and act on the most important question: What is wrong with this picture and how can I solve the problem in the quickest way, thereby going to the next problem to satisfy my need for constant stimulation. Also you have to learn to recognize when you are at a point when you can't apply those abilities of perception and learn to step out at that point. I don't think ADD is a disease for many of us (but I have seen pathological levels of it in kids that no doubt need intense intervention), its a talent that just doesn't fit in with the standard ways we school and work, too bad because its a huge waste of that talent.