Breakthrough
by Cliff Clark

Introduction:

The following is from a trader who has been trying to make it as a trader for a number of years. The journey has been a tough one as he has been jumping from one thing to another with very little success. He finally came to the realization that if he wants to make it he has to focus on one thing and really put it the time to make it work. I have been trying to provide guidance to this trader and I believe he has made is first big breakthrough. What follows is an email he sent me recently. I am posting here unedited so you can get his thoughts and feeling in his own words... I am also including my response for some additional insight.

Trader's Experience:

I'm experiencing some profound insights...(Okay maybe not profound lol, just breaking through all the frustration and confusion seems profound, but it's just basic i'm sure)
What I'm noticing about my progression is... What seems like a whole mess of confusion is actually part of the learning process...
I'll watch a bunch of videos, then go to the chart, and go to the chatroom in the morning. Then slowly but surely, all the videos, bits and pieces are coming together and ..booom...PROFOUND Understanding takes over.
I'll go and rewatch some videos, and what was just utter confusion, all makes sense now....
I'm loving the process of learning, and watching myself prove to myself a belief of "I can't learn" or "I'm slow" or "I'm stupid" start to go away....

I believe this easing into the learning process has happened because.
1. I just let go of time. It's going to take how long it's going to take, i just have to PUT IN THE WORK.
2. Commitment. I don't know when or where it was, but I felt a DEEP sense of commitment...I think it was a couple of weeks ago, I was feeling a bit anxiety about my progress, but then this comforting feeling came over me, and I just thought "I'm going to get this right, I'm going to succeed in this, no matter what" That was when the Letting go of time and how long it'll take came about.
3.. Surrendering to the confusion. So many new knowledge coming from so many angles, but....as i'm reaping the reward now... all that confusion was simply growing pains.... I'm reminded of a quote a friend of mine shared with me a while back. It's from a book that I purchased for a few of my friends and cousins and younger ones in my lives that are going through high school and college. It's principle number 9 of "What Smart STudent's Know" and it states "Few Things are as potentially difficult, Frustrating, Or Frightening as Genuine Learning, yet NOTHING is so Empowering"
I AM GENUINELY LEARNING and It's a reward within itself.

I basically meditate everyday, have been for close to a year now...
and I really tapped into the part of me that was suffering...
And One by one, i observed the disturbed parts of me as I was learning to trade...
and one by one I settled with them, and I took out those parts, by replacing them with thought patterns....of commitment, letting go of time pressure, and leaning into the frustration and confusion.
The leaning into the pain is key....I remember when I teach people how to snowboard...they always lean away ..lean back when they are scared...
I tell them "The opposite is true, you are suppose to put more weight on your front foot and lean into the downhill.....lean into your edge"

I'm leaning into the edge of my comfort zone, and it's expanding, and I'm not retreating!
I think I've already reaped major rewards from my journey as a day trader....growth....wisdom..maturity... YAY, i'm finally growing up lol.

It's cool though, I am not eager to trade, my ability to just sit there and watch the chart has gone up...I don't' even trade some days.
I'm watching HOURS and HOURS of videos...with these 3-5 days off work.
It's actually 4:16pm here in California and I haven't had anything to eat, I have only gone to use the restroom a few times, and all i've been doing is watching, charting and.....well some stretches here and there. heh.

Thanks for being a part of the Journey for me!

My Response to Trader:

Wow, I am really impressed. That is some break through. I hope you'll allow me to make a few observations.

1) While this breakthrough is a huge step it doesn't mean that you will succeed at trading. It is as you said a profound breakthrough. It's not just a breakthrough on your journey to becoming a successful trader but it's a profound breakthrough in your life in general. With this eye opening discovery you can (and I believe will be ) be successful at trading. Should you
decide at some point that trading isn't for you this insight will apply to anything in life you wish to tackle.
2) Keep in mind trading is a long journey. You are at step one! It will test you and frustrate you every step of the way. I want you to take a copy of the note you just sent me and put it someplace you can see it every time you trade. This will serve as a reminder that no matter how hard and frustrating trading gets you can and will overcome.
3) While it can be really invigorating to see these major break through's, I urge you to take breaks. You don't want to burn out. Just take 15 minutes every couple of hours to relax a little bit. Maybe just go for a walk or do some exercises or deep breathing. This will keep your mind fresh.

Lastly, I want to thank you for allowing me on the journey. You don't know how happy it makes me feel to see you make this leap. I have worked with probably more than a dozen traders over the years. I can tell you most fail so when I see you take this giant step forward it really makes my day. Keep up the great work and know that I'm here when you need your
next beating... :-) Just kidding!

Final Take Aways:

If you have taken the time to read all of this you probably have what it takes to be a successful trader if you are willing to put in the time and effort to develop the discipline it takes.

Here are some thing to consider to get you started.

• If possible maintain a job while learning.
• Get an education. Here I am talking about theory. A course like PTS and possibly mentor ship .
• Participate in a feedback loop (trading room, mentor-ship, etc). Use the room. If you have an idea put it out there, put symbol, entry and stop... Jared and Anmol will give you feedback. This is the most valuable aspect of the trading room that almost no body takes advantage of. Just throwing symbols out without context won't help you learn.
• Have a detailed trading plan.
• Have a trading checklist that you check before every trade.
• Have a trade tracking spread sheet and use it. I know people that have one, record all trades and then never look at it. That won't help...
• Keep a trading diary. Write down your thoughts about each trade? Why did you take it, what were your thoughts at the time. Was it a good pattern or perhaps a revenge trade? Reading back over these days and weeks later can let you see how you are handling emotions while trading.
  Find a trading buddy if possible. Someone you can trade ideas with, review each others trades, etc. Kinda like a study partner in school. It was easier to find trading buddies in the old days when you would go to live classes and actually meet people in person. When I was starting out four of us met in a class, we became friends started a study group, we had weekly meeting over SKYP for over a year. All of us have done and are doing pretty well. Ask in the room maybe others are looking for a partner as well.

That about sums it up... good luck to everyone “You got this”!

Follow-up:

Hi guys, just a quick followup to the link I sent yesterday. I had a bunch of people message me but I found three of them distressing and made me realize Jared's frustration. These three told me that they have been trading 3-10 years and are still break even in two cases and losing every year in the other... none of them have a trading plan... This is addressed to them and others in that position. Hmmm, you know what I don't believe you. You are not breaking even, you are lying to yourself. It may seem like you are breaking even but you'll have several good months in a row and then you'll have a week or month where you blow it all up. How do I know? Because I have been there. Be honest with yourself. Write a trading plan and stick to it if you really want to make money.... Otherwise just buy and SPY fund and find something else to do with your time. If it hasn't occurred to you yet you won't make money jumping from trading room to trading room trying to follow moderators. It doesn't work!