The Stock Trading Reality Podcast

It's one thing to "talk" about taking the needed actions to become a better trader; however, it is a whole other situation so "do" the actions. In this episode we have a trader who is sick and tired of their results and is now ready to step up and do anything and everything to hold themselves accountable. Long time member of our community, Walter, is not new to the markets. In fact, he has quite the track record of experience in the markets. The problem is, he is not happy at all with the results and has recently have some revelations that have opened his eyes to needing to finally take those steps to put himself in the best possible spot to succeed. I absolutely love the self accountability that is taking place here and I'm happy to assist along the way. If you are in need of an extra boost of motivation and self awareness, you'll get plenty of that here with Walter. Let's get to it!

I know. I get it. I really do! The financial markets are an amazing place where you can make lots of money all from the comfort of your own home or wherever you have internet access. The problem with that is, in the vast majority of situations, the person is rushing things and it ends up costing them much larger than had they "tip toed" in. We have a great example of this with our guest today, Luke (alias "MTJ2" in the chatroom). Luke was kind enough to join us all the way from the UK and being a younger guy, I found him to be a great example for many other younger traders in the world. Sure, he's not making millions of dollars, but what he is doing is what actually is the wise move. I enjoyed this conversation very much so let's get to it!

If there is only one thing that all traders can agree and relate to, I think it would be the emotion of frustration! I'm well aware that the slogan of claytrader.com is "trade without emotion", but wow, to be fully transparent, frustration is a constant battle for me. Can you relate? Have you ever had frustration arise in one way or another within your trading journey? If you can answer 'yes', then this is an episode you'll want to make time for. I did some research on the science of frustration and it's amazing how much research there is available. I also found a quality article that not only summarizes much of this research, but also maps out the tips in a very easy to read and understand format. Let's all remove as many barriers as we can and learn about how frustration works within the mind and how we can overcome it using science!

We did it! We made it to episode 300! First off, a big thank you to all of you loyal listeners. Without your support, this show would have drifted off into the shadows many years ago; however, here we are 300 episodes later and still going strong! Second off, to all of you community members who have volunteered your time to share your story (whether good or bad), a massive thank you! Your willingness to share your story has positively impacted the trading journeys of people around the globe. On that note, for this special episode I've brought back three former guests who I personally admire and respect for a variety of reasons. Sure, they're solid traders, but I'd argue they're even more solid in their approach and attitude to life in general. We do talk quite a bit about trading, but we also touch on various areas of life that I firmly believe can help you achieve your goals, whatever they may be. If you are someone who is willing to do what needs to be done in order to "get it done", then there is no question you'll find several nuggets of wisdom on this episode. Let's get to it!

The most common dream I come across from people getting involved in trading and the markets has nothing to do with fancy cars or Rolex watches. It has to do with freedom of time and the ability to control their schedule as they see fit. In other words, they want to quit their 9-5 job and become a full time trader. In this episode I welcome back fellow member Johnny who was just on the show a few months ago. There's a big difference however at this point in Johnny's journey that he was kind enough to update us on: he's quit his job and is now a full time trader! In this episode we talk about those final decisions that went into quitting his day job and then do a deep dive into what is like to be a full time trader and how it has all been going so far. If you have goals of quitting your job and working for yourself as a trader, this is an episode for you!

There is nothing better than talking to someone who has no problem doing what needs to be done and finding opportunity. As a business owner myself and someone who firmly believes in creating multiple streams of income, it's always motivating and inspiring to talk to someone cut from the same clothe. In this episode I welcome back long time member Geoff ('crestronwizard' in chatroom) for this third appearance on the show. He has not been in the market recently due to his extremely successful business he started; however, as he is now making plans to get back into making money from the markets, he was willing to swing by and update us all on his plan of attack moving forward. If you are someone who has a full time job and is wondering how you can still get involved in the markets, we talk about strategies to accomplish just that. There is truly something for everyone, so let's get to it!

I'm going international in this episode to welcome back long time member Nariman. Fair warning, if you are someone who enjoys looking for excuses and reasons on why you are not able to accomplish a goal or task, you will not like this episode or guest in the least. If you are someone who believes that "iron sharpens iron" and are in constant search of motivation and inspiration (no matter the person's age), then you'll love this discussion. Nariman is a busy guy who is in school; however, he's also a perfect example of just how powerful swing trading options can be for someone with a busy schedule. We talk about his strategy in particular and how options can be a perfect fit for someone with a full time job. Let's get to it!

I love simplicity. When things are simple, they're so much easier to put into motion and benefit from. In this episode I talk some SIMPLE science that can truly help us become better traders. Here's the best part about it all. Not only is the science simple, the way to "make it happen" is something that every single person who listens to this episode can do! I'm still amazed at how some of the most simple things in life, that we've all probably heard about at one time or another, are things that can serve as trading hacks to make us better. The best part about all of this is that when you pursue this science strategy in the name of "making yourself a better trader" it will positively affect many other areas of your life! Let's talk some science that will not only help us be better traders, but make us better in many areas of life! sources: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/29/people-who-live-100-longer-share-this-hobby-longevity-experts-say-it-can-add-years-to-life.html

Why is being a trader so hard? One of the most glaring issues is how the markets take personality traits, such as being ambitious, and totally twist them around and use them against the trader. Thanks to the openness of our guest, Harmon (his 2nd appearance on the show), we see how this cruel trick manifests itself within the market. Harmon is currently going through a rough patch within his trading; however, he's not giving up and he's paying attention to all the data which is helping him nail down the areas of his trading that need to be corrected. The human mind can be a cruel and crazy place and you'll see exactly what I mean with our conversation. There is something for everyone in this discussion, including me, so sit back and let's all do some learning together!

I love the people I talk to on this show. I truly do. People are not trying to portray themselves as something they're not. In fact, the exact opposite happens. People are being brutally upfront about their journeys so that we can all benefit from it. In this episode, I talk with fellow member Kelly about this journey and how he has ended up in a place he doesn't want to be, but needs to be. What is this place? TIMEOUT. Just as you would discipline a child with putting them in timeout, we as traders sometimes need to do the exact same thing. It does not make you a bad trader at all! I would argue it makes you a self-aware trader who is treating trading as a business and taking it all as serious as it should be. How did Kelly end up in timeout? What is he working on correcting? We go into that and a whole lot more!