We all know trading is very hard. Those who say otherwise are frankly full of BS. But does hard necessarily imply struggle?
Struggle Is Not What You Think
Let’s think about the definition of struggle. Here’s what the dictionary says:
1. To contend with an adversary or opposing force.
2. To contend resolutely with a task, problem, etc.
3. To advance with violent effort.
4. To be coping with inability to perform well or to win; contend with difficulty.
While all of these definitions make logical sense, I believe they miss the heart of what struggling is all about. You see, struggling, above all else, is a state of mind. It’s an internal resistance to external factors. It’s a state in which you fight with yourself and circumstances, striving to move away from what you feel is an undesirable condition. Struggle is all in the mind.
But what about if you’re currently losing money in your trading? What if nothing seems to work no matter what you try? How can you possibly not struggle with that??? Let me offer you a different alternative.
The Nature of Reality
If you studied Eastern philosophy, Quantum physics, and Freudian psychology, you would realize that they all point to a common conclusion. And this conclusion is that there is no objective reality ‘out there’. Rather, reality as we experience it is a product of our thoughts and interpretations.
So instead of reading that, thinking “wow that’s profound”, and then moving on, stop and see how you can actually put it to use in your life and in your trading. If there is no objective reality, then no matter how hard something is, we don’t have to struggle if we change our interpretation of it. Let me give you a personal example.
How To Stop Struggling
When I was first starting out in trading I was absolutely overwhelmed by all there was to learn and how much I’d have to figure out and experiment with. For a while, this made me struggle. I resisted it and felt a great amount of pressure and stress. But then it hit me. Here I was pursuing my passion- the thing that I’ve always wanted to do- and yet I was missing out on the experience of the journey due to the stress and struggle I was creating for myself. I suddenly realized that years later when I would become profitable, I would look back with fond memories about these early times. But if I didn’t allow myself to enjoy the difficult path and revel in the challenges, what kind of memories would those be? I’d be missing out on the whole experience.
I honestly have to tell you that when I changed my interpretation of the situation to one in which I felt lucky to be doing what I loved and experiencing all the challenges, the stress instantly melted away. The ‘struggle’ was gone. The journey didn’t stop being hard. The challenges didn’t disappear. But my interpretation of them was different, and so ‘reality’ changed for me. And ironically my new interpretation gave me more energy and motivation, and I progressed faster. Reality was simply reflecting my changed thoughts and perceptions.
So think about all the challenges and hardships you’re currently going through in your own trading journey. Does it really have to be a struggle for you? Can’t it be hard and challenging without making you feel down and stressed? Think back to why you got into trading to begin with. Get in touch with that. Remember the fascination with the markets and the want to master them. You’re living it. You’re doing it. You’re in the very process of it. You’re undertaking a journey that most are too afraid to commit to. Revel in that. Enjoy it. Experience it fully, and stop fighting it and trying to fast-forward. You’re not struggling. You’re creating struggle for yourself. And you can choose not to.
