Trade Up

Maybe you can relate to this? A bunch of times I’ve read a trading book and been thoroughly disappointed. In fact, a trading book is the only book I returned to audible! It was sooo bad I felt like I’d been robbed…

But it turns out I was approaching books in totally the wrong way. I used to buy a book and expect to love every word, page, and chapter. When I didn’t, I give up on it, put it away half-finished, and never revisit it… Then I learned a better way to approach it.

“What idea or inspiration can I glean from this to implement in my own trading.”

So now when I start reading, if my brain suddenly sparks into life over a page or paragraph, I’ll stop and think about that idea some more. Instead of hoping the book gives me all the answers, I’ve changed my expectations to one of ‘igniting my thinking’. I feel that’s a much better way to approach things.

Maybe I’m a bit late to the party with this technique… but I find I get a lot more out of even the most substandard books when I think of things this way.

Today, think about a trading book you were uninspired by. Could you revisit it and look at the content through a different lens?

(I actually do this with people too, what can I learn from this person? Even if that’s “I don’t want to be anything like this man!”)

Occasionally I’ll be super surprised by a book, but if I’m not, then I know I’m still learning something.