Get Your Mind Off Trading… To Be a Better Trader
If you want to be a great trader, you need to give your mind a break from trading. This means on walks, trips to the bathroom, hanging out on the couch, during workouts, and when you’re with others, you’ve got to get off your phone. Stop looking at quotes, FinTwit, news, and Discord messages that all fall into the “trading category.”
I promise you that if you don’t get your mind off trading, you’re going to struggle. You’re going to keep missing the big A++ trades that truly move the needle.
If you can’t have the discipline to focus on what’s in front of you and what you’re doing in that moment, your brain is just going to turn to mush.
Walk to that coffee shop in silence and just think or listen to some music. But don’t throw on a YouTube video or podcast that relates to trading.
When you need to take a sh*t, leave your phone behind (it should be tucked away anyway) and pick up that book you purposely left in the bathroom to read a couple of pages while you do your business. I’m reading The First Lie Wins right now on my bathroom trips and it’s great. Don’t pick a market book. Pick a mystery instead.
When you’re with friends and family, dear lord, leave your phone behind and be in the moment.
At the gym in between sets, don’t look at FinTwit. Focus on the lift instead. This is also why I love group workouts like CrossFit. You meet a ton of new people, you can’t have your phone out, and the workouts are so hard you’re forced to just focus on the workout itself.
What you’ll learn is that by getting your mind off trading and away from the screen, things will become more clear. Your brain won’t turn to straight-up mush, and you’ll start thinking more logically in the market. As a result, you’ll make real progress in your trading, and as a byproduct, you’ll actually be present in your everyday life.
Like these blogs? Keep up with them first via email