The view of the Swiss countryside is breathtaking as it whips past my panoramic window.<\/p>\n
As I gaze outside, I catch snippets of conversations in at least 3 different languages<\/p>\n
With this as a backdrop, I begin to think of journeys.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s journey is a train trip through the \u201cGolden Pass” from Lucerne to Lake Geneva. It's one of the most amazing landscapes on the planet.<\/p>\n
It's a small trip inside a 5-week \u201cworkcation\u201d to Europe, which is just a small part of my larger trading journey.<\/p>\n
Every day, people from all walks of life become traders for all different reasons.<\/p>\n
I found my way to trading while searching for a better way to live. I spent most of my life working 50-60+ hours week. I read about places I wanted to see but never actually went anywhere.<\/p>\n
I decided I needed to define \u201ca better way to live.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next step was to find a vehicle, get in, and step on the gas pedal.<\/p>\n
A few years ago, either someone started making building materials heavier, or I started getting older. I also wanted more time with family and the resources to see the world.<\/p>\n
So I needed a job I could do from anywhere.<\/p>\n
Like many people, a search for flexibility and opportunity led me to trading.<\/p>\n
My trading journey started out like the mountains I'm looking at: rocky.<\/p>\n
I had the misfortune of doing really well for the first couple months of trading, and I got enough information to really hurt myself.<\/p>\n
I paid for my trading education in multiple ways. I didn't know as much as I thought I did, and I quickly lost money that took me years to earn.<\/p>\n
I had to admit to my wife and family that I had lost so much of what we had worked for.<\/p>\n
And then I decided to invest in myself with a T3 education. Ironically, the free seminars and books I consumed only cost me money.<\/p>\n
With a proper education, a plan for success, and most importantly, membership in a supportive trading community, I was able to achieve my goals.<\/p>\n
Mentioning a 5-week work-cation in Europe sounds like bragging — we can all agree on that.<\/p>\n
But to me, it is the realization of two goals I wrote in my first trading plan: to spend more time with my family, and to see the world.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t get me wrong. This didn\u2019t happen overnight.<\/p>\n
Like anything worth doing, success in trading requires hard work.<\/p>\n
Learning technical chart patterns is incredibly easy.<\/p>\n
The real work is staying disciplined and grinding it out trade after trade. And then tracking those trades to learn from your mistakes and successes, and understanding the nuances and psychology of the market participants.<\/p>\n
And even that pales in comparison to learning about yourself, and figuring out what it takes to make yourself a success.<\/p>\n
But if a former custodian, fence builder, and construction worker like me can succeed in trading, then anyone can!<\/p>\n
The keys to any good journey are simple:<\/p>\n
1. Do your Research Before You Start<\/strong><\/p>\n There are a million ways to make money in the market, there are a million and one ways to lose it. So find the education, methodology, and a mentor that makes sense to you. T3 Live has some of the best traders, educators, and mentors available. We have different rooms and moderators, each with their own unique trading personality.<\/p>\n 2. Have a Road Map for Success <\/strong><\/p>\n In trading, a strong trading plan is the map to success.<\/p>\n Trading without a plan is like baking without a recipe. You can do it, but you'll find it awfully hard to repeat any successes.<\/p>\n 3. Find Companions That make the Trip better<\/strong><\/p>\n Find companions that make the trip better. My companions are the moderators and members of the T3 Live Black Room<\/a><\/strong><\/span>. We are a community of traders who work together each day to improve ourselves and each other. If you want to achieve your trading goals, come to the Black Room and start your journey. Attend an open house, take a course, find a mentor; because you can\u2019t ask a book questions in real time.<\/p>\n