Back In Madrid!

2010 here we go! Happy New Year to all (a bit belated agreed) and apologies for being a little quiet on the blog and the emails recently. I promise to get back to everyone who has sent me an email over the last few weeks after this blog post. So expect a reply by the end of the day :)

First I'd like to thank everyone for showing an interest in my courses, or simply enjoying the read of the blog. I'm not going anywhere in a hurry and plan to help as many budding traders as I can in years to come. I have a few ideas lined up this year which I'll announce nearer the time and as the interest has come mainly from the UK, I have made rough plans to move back to London come the start of 2011 :)

Little Break

I've taken some much needed time off from the world of trading, and trust me from late Dec - late Jan is the best time of year to take it. Regardless if we have crazy amounts of snow on the ground or not. It's been a great time catching up with friends and family but time for me to get back to it. As a full-time trader you have to look at the year like a marathon, and be willing to fight through the tricky times to be rewarded when the good times come around again. From late Dec - end of Feb Is without a doubt the trickiest time of year to trade, and it's mainly down to the weather. I wished to see snow when I arrived back in the UK and wow I was not disappointed! I saw it everyday I was in the country haha! Crazy indeed and it's completely thrown the markets out of sync. I'm gonna be careful what I wish for in future!

You have to know when to immerse yourself in the markets though, and know when to take a step back from them. Everyone who has traded even a few weeks on the markets, quickly realise it grabs u by the balls and leaves you wanting more. A kind of addictive game of wits and money where your in a constant battle with yourself to improve. But having time off is a massive part of being a consistent winner on Betfair. Go and jump off a bridge with a bungee strapped to your ankles, go and swim with dolphins or simply sit in front of the box watching back to back films sipping on 10 cups of tea. It really doesn't matter what you do, just enjoy it! But don't beat yourself up about taking some time off, you will thank yourself when your trading 7-8 hours a day in summer when there's an overload of opportunities. Ask yourself this....would you prefer a job where you don't have a choice if you work or not?

All About The Money?

When you first start learning the black art of trading, it's all about money money money. But ask yourself what you want the money for? My goal is to make money for a life of freedom and enjoyment. So really the true benefit trading has given me is being able to experience life as I choose to live it, and long let this continue. We are trained from a young age to search for a safe, secure job offering a nice pay-check at the end of the month. Without realising you are numbing your thought process in looking for freedom, flexibility, and new sources of wealth. As human beings we are scared of failure and this forces us to search for security. So in turn we live below our means and live by the pay-check we have worked so hard for. But working crazy hours a day we don't have the time or energy to enjoy it. As consumers, when we get a pay rise all we do is spend more and wonder why we never have any spare money...and the viscous circle continues. This is called the rat race, and over 95% of the population is in this system. But instead of thinking 'oh this is just how it is, think how can I get out of this'. Trading is 1 alternative and there are many more, so I hope you see where I'm trying to go with this. It's not the search of more and more money that is important, it's how the money you make changes your life for the better.

This time of year is a time to remind yourself why you are a trader, or why you want to become one. As its the drive inside you that makes us successful, not how long it takes or how many losses you occur in the process. You have to find your own drive that will keep you going and ultimately make u prosper in this competitive game of trading. For me it was the drive for freedom that led to my success, and it's still the drive that keeps me going today. Having the flexibility to do what I want, when I want to do it is so important to me. I hope all that are learning can look beyond the potential monetary gains, and seek another drive within them that will make 2010 a fulfilling and enjoyable year.

Bring It On!

After a long break away from the markets I'm itching to get back to it all. Gonna have a look at 2moro's card and fingers crossed I'll see some kind of action to get my teeth into. I plan to take it very slow and probably will drop my stakes down a bit. I'll be very patient and won't expect much from the remaining week. See how it goes though and I'll do an update after Saturday's card. Now's the perfect time to expand your trading into other ideas and plans for the coming year. Mine will be trying out the tennis which should be fun, although I need to get Sky sorted out before I tackle the tennis madness :)

Other Blogs

In the world of blogging, we are always going to have people come and go, and we've lost some good ones unfortunately. But I've noticed so many new blogs appear in the last few months which is great to see! I think there's a mini buzz around trading in general even though the weather has taken some joy out of things of late. So if anyone wants to be added to my blog links simply send me a request and I'll happily add anyone. A lot of mine on my list haven't updated in a while so please feel free to get in touch.

Please check back over the last few comments made on earlier posts. I've responded to them all. Many thanks!

Stay positive, its the calm before the storm :)