Trading is like anything else worth doing.<\/p>\n
If you want to be good, you've got to develop discipline, patience, and mental toughness.<\/p>\n
Now, you can learn plenty about trading by watching screens and reading books… but sometimes, the very best lessons come on mile 25 of a marathon… or when a 200-pound boar is charging you at full speed.<\/p>\n
So we sat down with several of our trading experts to talk about the lessons they've learned\u00a0far way from their charts and spreadsheets.<\/p>\n
Here are their stories.<\/p>\n
Brandon Perry on Hunting Wild Boars<\/strong><\/p>\n Here in Texas, we love the taste of wild boars.<\/p>\n But wild boars love the taste of crops, grazing fields, wildlife, and private property.<\/p>\n Smithsonian magazine<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0said they're “among the most destructive invasive species in the United States today,” doing $400 million worth of damage in Texas annually.<\/p>\n I have a rancher friend who invites me to help take care of his problem with wild boars.<\/p>\n We start with weather patterns. If it's rainy, the boars spread out and won\u2019t be concentrated around a water source.<\/p>\n In the winter, food gets scarce and they move away from acorn-rich oak trees to lowland valleys with rich sources of grass and grubs.<\/p>\n In the summer, they stay out of the brutal Texas heat during the day.<\/p>\n That's my macro analysis.<\/p>\n Next, I have to drill down to analyze my specific target.<\/p>\n Boars\u00a0are probably the most dangerous wild land animal in Texas.<\/p>\n They have razor sharp tusks and they're not afraid to take on humans.<\/p>\n One time on a hunt, we came across a 200+ pound boar. We're talking a big ugly beast\u00a0right out of a horror movie.<\/p>\n We saw it and it saw us.<\/p>\n Usually they run away. This boar didn't.<\/p>\n He turned toward us and started sauntering toward us.<\/p>\n We had a choice. We could run or shoot.<\/p>\n My friend took a shot with his AK-47.<\/p>\n Now you may think having an AK-47 made this an unfair fight. But boars are very, very tough, with with inch-thick skin and a cranial bone that can deflect bullets.<\/p>\n The first shot only made it turn.<\/p>\n The second took it down.<\/p>\n In hunting, there are a few very important rules to follow.<\/p>\n These rules also apply to trading.<\/p>\n For example, I love trading washout lows, but it's not easy.<\/p>\n I have to make sure the technicals are right.<\/p>\n And when I have my target picked out, I can't rush in. I need to wait until the odds are in my favor.<\/p>\n If things go wrong,\u00a0I need enough room to exit the situation to minimize risk… whether I'm looking at a charging stock or a charging boar.<\/p>\n When trading lows, you have a brief moment for action, and then the opportunity is gone.<\/p>\n But in trading, like hunting, opportunities always come around again.<\/p>\n So don't rush to pick a shot. You'll get another.<\/p>\n Brandon is a contributor to the Virtual Trading Floor\u00ae. Click here<\/a><\/strong> for a 14-Day FREE Trial.<\/em><\/p>\n Scott Redler on Triathlons<\/strong><\/p>\n If you want a better brain, build a better body.<\/p>\n One of the biggest factors in my trading success has been competing in 100+ triathlons and marathons, including 2 Ironman events.<\/p>\n When I started doing triathlons, my trading profits went through the roof for 2 reasons.<\/p>\n First, I suddenly had fewer hours in the day.<\/p>\n That may seem a little counter intuitive, but hear me out.<\/p>\n To balance my trading career and family time with triathlon training,\u00a0I\u00a0was forced to become more focused.<\/p>\n I started getting up earlier, partying less, and most importantly, I learned the power of a routine.<\/p>\n Instead of flying by the seat of my pants, I started every trading day with a comprehensive plan.<\/p>\n That's why I'm so adamant about daily game planning.<\/p>\n If you don't have a plan, you end up wasting all your time and energy trying to figure out what to do!<\/p>\n When you start your day with a plan, you can keep your eyes on the prize and not waste your time with distractions.<\/p>\n And the second reason endurance\u00a0training is valuable is that it builds mental toughness.<\/p>\n You learn that you're capable of a lot more than you think.<\/p>\n When you start out running, running a mile or two may seem impossible.<\/p>\n And then you read about\u00a0Fauja Singh<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, a man who ran his first marathon at 89!<\/p>\n So find an outlet that pushes you physically.<\/p>\n It could be an Ironman.<\/p>\n Or it could be a walk around the neighborhood, a martial art, or pushups in the\u00a0office at lunch.<\/p>\n Just do something.<\/p>\n\n