Trading has taught me much more than patterns of supply and
demand. It has provided a framework for thinking about life. Here are ten life
lessons instilled by the markets:
1) Have a firm stop-loss point for all jobs, relationships, and personal
involvements. Successful people are successful because they cut their losing
experiences short and ride winning experiences.
2) Diversification works well in life and markets. Multiple, non-correlated
sources of fulfillment make it easier to take risks in any one facet of life.
3) In life as in markets, chance truly favors those who are prepared to benefit.
Failing to plan truly is planning to fail.
4) Success in trading and life comes from knowing your edge, pressing it when
you have the opportunity, and sitting back when that edge is no longer present.
5) In all facets of life and investing, risks and rewards are proportional.
6) Happiness is the profit we harvest from life. All life's activities should
provide a good return on investment.
7) With volatility comes opportunity. Always.
8) All trends and cycles come to an end. Who anticipates change, profits.
9) The worst decisions, in life and markets, come from extremes: overconfidence
and a lack of confidence.
10) A formula for success in life and finance: never hold an investment that you
would not be willing to purchase afresh today.
Brett N. Steenbarger, Ph.D. is Associate Clinical Professor of
Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at SUNY Upstate Medical University in
Syracuse, NY and author of The The
Psychology of Trading (Wiley, 2003). As Director of Trader
Development for Kingstree Trading, LLC in Chicago, he has mentored numerous
professional traders and coordinated a training program for traders. An active
trader of the stock indexes, Brett utilizes statistically-based pattern
recognition for intraday trading. Brett does not offer commercial services to
traders, but maintains an archive of articles and a trading blog at
www.brettsteenbarger.com and a
blog of market analytics at
www.traderfeed.blogspot.com. His book, Enhancing Trader Performance, is due
for publication this fall (Wiley).
