Guest post by Jason Stapleton (ForexGuy) 4xtraderslive
Have you ever been driving down the highway and see a car accident? Of course you have. We all have. You know you shouldn’t look. You should just keep driving. But inevitably, almost unconsciously, your foot comes off the gas pedal. You eyes begin to narrow as you search the scene. You just can’t help but look in the hopes of seeing something that will give you a good story to tell later. “What happened?” you wonder. “Is anyone hurt?” The next thing you know you’re doing the old ‘bird neck’ as you slowly roll past the crash site. You have now become what you hate most, the guy who’s holding up traffic as he gawks at the carnage on the side of the road.
Golf, my friends, is my car accident. I love to play. There’s something about being on the course, on a perfect fall day with no wind. Enjoying nature, the finely groomed fairways and quite tranquility that seems to take me so far away from all my struggles and responsibilities”¦”¦”¦..then I tee off.
For the next several hours I spend my time zigzagging my way from one side of the fairway to the other as I attempt to chop my way through the front nine. Make no mistake; there’s not a sand trap, deep rough or water hazard that will escape my quest for mediocrity. I have become an expert at avoiding any area on the course that would lend itself to an easy lay-up.
By the end of the day, I’m exhausted. I’ve taken 3 times as many shots as anyone else in my party and the entire evolution has taken twice as long as it should have. Back at the clubhouse I sigh and think to myself, “Thank God that’s over.” Yet the very next time someone asks me if I want to hit the links I say “absolutely”. I can’t help it. I love to play. Golf is my car accident.
Some of you might wonder what any of this has to do with trading. Well I tell you this short story because I think it has incredible value to you as a trader. You see, I don’t practice playing golf. I just play. You won’t find me out on an afternoon hitting balls at the driving range. I don’t work on putting or chipping. I just get out on the course with my buddies and play. I’d like to become a better golfer. I just don’t want to invest the time and money necessary to achieve that goal. I’m content to shell out the $60 green fees and swing a club.
Over thanksgiving I took the family out to visit my grandparents. My two daughters has an absolutely wonderful time as they helped my grandmother make dinner and pick flowers outside their beautiful home in Kansas. Their house sits right off the 13th green on one of the finest golf courses in the Midwest. My grandfather loves to golf and we spent several days out on the course. It’s might not surprise you that he still has no problem beating the socks of me. He’s is truly an exceptional man in more ways than one.
My grandfather was a farmer for most of his life. He was very successful through the years and now lives a life most of us would find envious. I remember as a young boy spending the summer at their farm where I would see him hit golf balls for what seemed like hours on end. He had a 3 acre plot of land adjacent to his home and during his free time he would hit the balls from his driveway to a flag he’d posted on the far side of the field. He’d hit an entire bag of balls, and then spend the next half hour collecting them up with one of those old hand shaggers. His office was littered with golf magazines. He was up to date on all the latest equipment. He knew all the players and watched all the golf tournaments on TV. He even spent time working with professional golf pros so he could improve his play. For him golf was not a fleeting fancy. It was an integral part of his life. It was a true love and passion for the game that moved him to spend all those hours in study and practice.
Where is your passion? Mine is trading. I can’t get enough of it. I read everything I can get my hands on. I’ve spend thousands of dollars on books, seminars and trading courses. I spend my free time reading market reports and writing articles like this one. I can talk trading for hours. I never, ever grow tired of the subject. For me, trading is as much a part of my life as air. I can’t imagine my life without it.
At the beginning of this article I talked about my addiction to golf. Although I do love to play I will never rise above the rank of “worst golfer in the group” precisely because I know I will never devote the time and energy necessary to improve my game.
Golf is nothing more than the car accident I can’t look away from.
Is your trading a passion or a car accident? Have you committed the time, money and dedication necessary to be successful or are you wildly chopping your way through the market? You’ve heard me say it before. Trading is a business. It is a skill that can be LEARNED. But it’s no different than any other profession. If you truly want to be great you must never stop learning, practicing and growing. My grandfather never became a Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer but he did win many local tournaments and earned the respect of any golfer he played with.
You may not be the next Ed Seykota, Marty Swartz or Bruce Kovner but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a wildly profitable carrier as a trader. But remember, FOREX trading is a game for the committed. If you are not willing to devote every ounce of your time and energy to learning the skills necessary to compete in this arena then I advise you to STOP TRADING IMMEDIATLY. Find that thing you are most passionate about and pursue it. Leave you trading account to someone who loves to trade as much as my grandfather loves golf.
Until Next Time, Good Luck and Good Trading
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