5 Years Later and Still Trading Full-Time

Last Thursday, 3/31/11, marked 5 years since I walked away from sales conferences in Hawaii, drinks on the 19th hole with customers and a big fat paycheck to trade full-time on my own account.  My first thought is WOW!  How have I survived countless unforeseen expenses?  How did I survive the Great Recession? How have my wife & I maintained our same lifestyle?  Vacations haven’t changed and we are still living in the suburbs and driving nice cars.

It is simple.

I WANT IT!

In Napoleon Hill’s book “Think and Grow Rich,” he shared a story of Edwin Barnes – a man who desired to become a business associate of Thomas Edison.  According to Hill, “Barnes desire was not a hope! It was not a wish! It was a keen, pulsating DESIRE, which transcended everything else.  It was DEFINITE.”  Barnes described his desire as such, “There is but ONE thing in this world that I am determined to have, and that is a business association with Thomas A. Edison.  I will burn all bridges behind me, and stake my ENTIRE FUTURE on my ability to get what I want.”

That means putting my Engineering and Business degrees back to work for the man is not an option.  It means means working 12-14 hour days. Constantly analyzing my trades.  Determining which set-ups work best for me. Forever reading and writing.  I didn’t understand this until lately, but writing fine tunes my thought process.

Trading is a business.  Treat it as a business.  Protect your capital.  And with a little luck, trading may take you to places of your DREAMS.