The Double-Edged Sword of Ambition

Ah, the double–edged sword of ambition…
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You want to become the best trader you can be.
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You’ve got a strong work ethic, big goals, drive, and ambition.
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Nothing is going to stop you, it’s happening and you’re going to make it happen by force of will…
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​But is that really serving you?
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​Could that drive and ambition be working against you in trading?
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Urgh.
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Trading is a funny business, it’s very different to so many other endeavours out there.
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We know that becoming a great trader isn’t about taking the most trades or sitting in front of the screen all the time.
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Greatness comes from patience, and (weirdly) your ability to do nothing for most of the time.
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Imagine if a football player tried that…
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​“Yeah coach, I’m not playing today, I’m being ‘patient’ down the pub.”
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​Erm nope.
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​So how do we take our natural desire to push hard and funnel it in a way that serves us in trading?
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​Here’s how I think about it:

• Channel all that work ethic and energy into pre and post-market.
• Do your homework, journal your trades, analyse charts, and work on yourself.
• Use that ambition when the market is closed
• Come up with a new plan
• Research new ideas
• Dig into your trade performance

But when the bell goes, and you’re in trading mode you switch characters.
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Now you activate ‘patient mode’.
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The hard work is done, now you need to just execute, be patient, and let things play out.​
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This game is won when the market is closed.
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​Anyone can sit in front of a screen all day, making hundreds of trades and claim they are ‘working hard’.
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But we both know that rarely gets results…
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It’s the traders who put in the hard work after the closing bell that achieve greatness.
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If you can aim all the energy, ambition and drive at the right place, big things will happen.