You're seated at your desk, eyes fixed on a graph of data in motion. These sessions can last for hours, with moments of intense action that quicken your heart rate, make you break into a sweat, and have you shouting at your screen. But most of the time, it's just sitting and staring, with no action on your part. The challenge lies in the fact that as you watch the chart, your brain is constantly crunching numbers, predicting price movements, and urging you to take a trade. You have to resist that inner voice, to be stronger and simply wait for your signal. And that waiting can be incredibly boring. It's slow and tough because it's easy to lose focus in just a few minutes, and missing an opportunity is a cardinal sin. So, you must become accustomed to being bored yet focused simultaneously. The added bonus? The uncertainty that comes with the territory, a reward for your hard work and endless sacrifices of time. While you may have the luxury of chatting with someone or reading something on a second screen during lulls, when action strikes, everything else is shut out. You need total focus on your work, without distractions, because every second counts. And in this realm, every second is exceedingly precious.
You will spend hours staring at a screen because numbers and historical data are the core elements for creating a business plan in this field.
You may not need to interact with anyone in person if you prefer solitude.
The stress in this line of work is unparalleled; trading with real money means you're never completely secure, as there's always a significant risk of losing your account.
Mastering discipline is non-negotiable. If you dislike adhering to schedules, rules, processes and rather prefer a constant freestyle approach, trading may not be for you.
You must allocate time for trading every single day because opportunities can arise at any moment. Consistency is key.
In terms of personality traits, trading demands resilience, patience, adaptability, analytical skills, emotional control, and a willingness to continuously learn and improve.