Trading is a way to quickly experience life; it is a super accelerator of life. In trading, your personality, habits, strengths, weaknesses, your understanding of the world and things, as well as your way of working and abilities, will be quickly exposed and magnified.
Successful traders must possess the ability to understand the essential laws of how things operate and be able to translate that understanding into practical and effective actions.
Such individuals, not just in trading but in other pursuits as well, are likely to succeed. Therefore, all success in the world has its similarities. If you are not doing well in trading now, it must be that you are also a mess in your life and work.
It is often said that trading is counterintuitive, but isn't success in other areas of life also counterintuitive? For example, are you disciplined enough? Do you understand delayed gratification? Do you have strong execution skills? Do you possess strong self-reflection abilities? Besides not requiring much interaction with others, trading shares the same personal traits as other successful endeavors. From this perspective, trading is actually not that special.
Understanding this principle clarifies where a trader's efforts should be directed; a successful trader does not rely on how hard they study technical and fundamental analyses, nor do they need to constantly monitor the market and become a trading machine. It is also not about so-called self-cultivation to the point of detachment from society, but rather achieving a sense of autonomy and calmness.
This autonomy does not mean enjoying trading itself; this calmness does not necessarily mean you are always making money, but rather it is about aligning your life with trading principles.
Reaching a balance is key. It is not about being fully immersed in trading, nor treating trading as a lifeline; instead, it is about integrating trading into your life, making trading one with your daily life.
For instance, you might go to the gym every day to maintain a healthy body and good shape, exercising your self-discipline and willpower; or you might have a job you can invest in for development, improving your long-term thinking and execution abilities; or you might focus on nurturing your family, making it warmer and exercising your patience; or perhaps you frequently travel to maintain a good mood, fostering a positive mindset.
So, if you have not yet found the way to trading, it might be wise to set it aside for now. Try to reorganize your life first, finding points of autonomy in your daily work and life, allowing yourself to fully grasp the rhythm of work and life.
When you dedicate a significant portion of your energy to managing your own life, allowing yourself to be more autonomous in life rather than focusing solely on trading, you are more likely to succeed.