Patience

Patience has always been one of my biggest problems...especially when it comes to trading.

It takes patience to let what's working, work. I've always had trouble balancing my long-term goals of "trading success" with my very real short-term needs to make money to pay bills.

Recently, I've had success in the markets. I am earning very respectable percentage gains that if left to continue compounding, will in the long-run amount to a tremendous fortune. Of course when this happens, my natural tendency is to want the long-run to hurry up and get here as fast as possible. Naturally, this is not possible, and this is where I usually run into problems.

They say the first step is "admitting I have a problem." So this blog post is my effort to throw my recognition and acceptance of this problem out to the universe. Now, the next step is to learn to practice patience. Keep my head down. Keep plugging away and duplicating what I know is working. Make it as automatic as possible. Focus on the process, not the results. The results must take care of themselves.

The other tactic I am beginning to practice is visioning that I've already achieved my goals. Allowing myself to experience what it would feel like to already be there. In which positive ways would my life be different? Imagine it. Feel it. One amazing result I've had during these mind games is to realize that in a lot of ways, I'm already living it. Maybe my money clip doesn't reflect it. But my attitude, and the way I spend my time does.

In two completely unrelated notes:  I recently joined Toastmasters International, a public speaking and leadership development program. I give my first speech tonight. Basically, just a 4-5 minute introduction to who I am and what I hope to accomplish in the program. I'm nervous, but also strangely very confident.

The other note is that the little contest I'm having with myself is off to a great start so far. You can read about it here.