Forex and Yoga

Trading the Forex Market requires a lot of patience. Sometimes it feels like you are going the wrong way or sabotaging yourself. Other times you are entering a trade too early or exiting too late. Then there are those days where you see everything clearly but you don't act all. And my favorite days, when you are at peace with yourself and you everything just goes your way.

Recently I started practicing yoga 5 days a week again. And I'm not talking about the stereotypical stretching and a little bit of exercise, we're talking breath taking, challenging, omg I don't know why I do this, type of yoga.

Five years ago it all started with a Groupon (and I have to admit some hot babes), Yoga really help me work of some steam, relax, and provide some variety to my Boxing and Muay Thai Training at the time. About 1 year ago I was hopping around different Yoga places, it's not easy to find a great Yoga place here in Thailand, let alone a good one, and I started practicing 5 days a week, Ashtanga. I never had sweated so much (in a cold yoga room) and lost 10 lbs, got lean, felt great, and calm.

Six months ago I moved and given my new location and available yoga teachers, I ended up only being able to go 2 to 3 times a week. Better than nothing but definitely not as good as 5 days a week. What a difference it makes when you push yourself 5 days a week.

So what does that have to do with trading Forex? A few things...

1. If you haven't done so in a while, commit to trading every day and see how it changes your trading style. Watch the market and get into the groove.
2. Just like in Yoga, you will find bumping up your frequency of trading will push you further.
3. Regular trading (and yoga) will give you confidence that with every new day, there will be a new opportunity to work on your trade (or your yoga pose).
4. Every day becomes a learning experience. 
5. Practice is the mother of skill.

If you haven't tried yoga then I highly recommend you try it! 

The perfect Forex Time Zone

When I lived in Vancouver BC Canada I used to get up at 5am to trade the US Market and dreaded it.  Back then I thought South East Asia would be perfect, because the Asian Session would open in the morning, Europe in the afternoon, and US in the evening.  And it is but...

Having lived in Thailand now for 2.5 Years I realized while the time zone here is perfect, the hours don't chive with my lifestyle or better put, my life style in Thailand.   In the evenings, just when the US Market Opens up, is when most of my friends want to meet, go for dinner, play Badminton, or just relax because it's cooling down.

During my last visit to Europe, to my surprise, my lifestyle and trading had a great balance.  In fact I was busier with life than I was with trading, and my trading was better.

A typical day in Europe... 

8am Frankfurt Opens.  I'm either sipping my first cup of coffee or waking up.
9am London Opens.  If I'm up, I check if there is any movement or upcoming news and look for some GBP or EURUSD trades.
12pm Lunch time. The markets usually die down, and I go for lunch or do yoga.
3pm New York Opens.  If I'm not busy meeting friends then I will trade the US Market or US News.
6pm Dinner Time.  Cook, eat out, or meet with friends.
11pm  Tokyo Opens.  This is typically around my bed time, either I'm so tired from a 40km bikeride that I just take a quick glance to see if there is any action, maybe set some entry orders, or I'm still awake and have energy to trade a little more.

While this to me is a perfect day, focus on your lifestyle and schedule, and see when you can fit in some trading times, then it's a matter of trial and error and figuring out your trading style and technique that match your lifestyle.

Don't get me wrong.  I can trade pretty much anywhere, I just prefer the European Lifestyle and time zone. 

No Sexy Girls in Bikinis!

Monsoon season seems to have started here in Phuket.  It sure is coming down now and smells nice, it's as cool as a warm summer day in Canada.

This weather reminds me of when I lived in Vancouver, or Raincouver as we like to call it.  Actually those were some of my best trading days.

 

Rawai, Phuket, Thailand

 



Nowadays I have a hard time concentrating in the heat and with all the distractions Thailand has to offer.  So a little rain is quite welcome.

Next time you're analyzing your trades, consider your environment.  Where did you make your good / bad trades?  Were you in a coffee shop?  At home?  Was it hot? Rainy?  Cold?   Comfy office chair?  On the couch?   Don't laugh, it can make a difference.   Everyone seems to think you can just pull up a laptop and work anywhere.  If you can, kudos to you.  And if you are efficient, wow you are a super star.

As for me, I need a comfy office chair, a decent desk or kitchen table.   I can't do regular chairs.  I also need a decent temperature. Not too hot, not too cold.   Lots of Soda Water on hand, sometimes music, sometimes not.   And no distractions...

No sexy girls in bikinis!

Trading is like Dating

Even if you are married you will remember the time you were single.  For some it was awkward, for others it was fun, and for some people it was a period of ups and downs until you met that one.  For me "Single Life is Happy Life".  Needless to say I still do a lot of dating.  And yes it's a lot like trading.

There are some dating mistakes that most of us will shake their head at but some of you will remember making.  Like falling head over heels for a girl and trying way too hard.

#1  Trying Too Hard

Life, trading, and dating is all about moderation.  Try too hard and you will not get a second date or worse you'll be taken advantage of.  Don't try too hard.  Relax. Take it easy.  While it doesn't hurt to make a good first impression, you don't have to bend over backwards.   Don't trade too much, don't stay up 24x7.  Don't read every book out there.  Take your time.  Good things will come to you.

Lets face it, if you are carrying the girl's school books home then she might lose interest and go for the guy that just doesn't care.

#2  Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

The jock that never helped carry her books, in other words didn't give her all the attention she wanted and was distant.  He had it right.  Either by sure dumb luck or by pure genius.   Women want to date a real man.  They don't want to date their friend, chauffeur, and butler.  They want someone that will tell them No.  Why?  Because women are drawn to leaders. Leaders have higher mating potential, because they take risks and are considered more dominant, more of a survivor, and hence the female body perceives that their sperm will swim the distance.  Women love jerks. 

The market will eat you up alive if you devote your life to it.   Take a break, enjoy life, find another hobby, and for every minute you spend away from "temptation" you will be closer to getting what you want.  Be a leader and control the market.  Don't let the market control you.  Make solid plans, know when to walk away for some breathing room, and don't let a bad trade consume you.  Likewise don't let a good trade give you false confidence.   That girl that you have "wrapped around your finger" can turn on you anytime.

#3 Don't Be Too Cocky

There is confidence and arrogance (cockiness).   Sure she might laugh at your arrogance and cockiness but don't be fouled.  Women are always (over) analyzing you.   Before, during, and after they met you.   Tell some good jokes, talk a little bit about yourself, with confidence tell her about your passions but don't get overly cocky.  Be confident.  Trade with confidence.

Don't start increasing your lot size and prancing around the room telling people how much money you made.   Don't make messy trades because you think you own the market.  Know your limits.  Know when to take a time out and real back into reality.

#4  Be Real

Women can smell bullshit.   And even if you are speaking the truth, there was a line of bullshit men that have given them reason to doubt you.   Don't over exaggerate. Don't embellish.   Don't pretend you are someone you are not.   Women can tell.  Or they will find out. And when they do, it's not pretty.  The market smells your bullshit too. 

Don't tell yourself you are a superstar because you had a few lucky trades.  On a demo account...  Don't quit your day job thinking you have what it takes.   Not just yet.  Be real.   You need to live the life of a trader.  For at least one year.  First on a demo account and then another year on a real account.  Then and only then you have a real feel of the market.  No "oh yeah with a real account I wouldn't have done that" bullshit.  And no "oh yeah I just need to use 5 times as much equity next year" wishful thinking.  Be real.  With yourself.

#5  Baby Steps

You're not going to show up with a bouquet of flowers, a box of chocolates, and a diamond engagement ring on the first date.   And if you do then she will RUN!     Get a grip on yourself, be real and pace of yourself.  

Have a plan.   First date, get to know her.  Second date, make a move.  Third date, if you haven't made a move yet you better make one quick or you'll end up in the friend zone...   The point is you need to have some sort of idea in your head of what your goal is and then plan out the steps to get there.  Or at least pace yourself and not skip any steps. 

Same goes for trading.  Month 1.  Get to Know the Market.  Month 2.  Make some moves, place some trades.  Month 3.  If you still haven't made some trades then you better think about just sitting on the sidelines and watching the market as an observer and get stuck in the F-Zone.

#6 The F Zone

The most dreaded word.  FRIENDS.   Do what you can to stay out of the Friend Zone.  You don't want to be sitting on the sidelines watching her as she dates other guys and comes crying on your shoulder about them.  Just like you don't want to sit and just watch the market.  You need to grab the bulls by the horns and make sure you know how to stay out. 

For one, never ever do lunch or coffee dates during the day.  She's just killing time.  You aren't her favorite choice.  Make sure it's drinks (and only drinks).  No dinners.  You need to have an escape plan before she starts ordering a 5 course meal and she tells you about her crazy ex boyfriend and 5 kids.     Same in trading.  

Take trading serious and don't be an observer. Take the lead and schedule the time to trade.  Commit to an hour a day. Schedule it in your calendar like a doctor's appointment.  Don't try and squeeze it in on your lunch or coffee breaks.  Be serious about trading.  Just like you want to be serious about going on a date and not be picked as her friend.   Let her find a gay friend for that.  Stay out of the friend zone by being a man, not her friend.

#7  Know When to Walk Away

Know when to put your foot down.  Know your limits.   Know when to walk away.   When you're dating you need to weed out all the crazies and incompatibles.  Don't let "love" blind you.  There is a difference between being "in love" and "loving" someone.   And if you're just starting to date then you are likely just "in lust".  

Know when to walk away.  Do so when knowing that the risks are just not worth the reward.  Like waking up with your testicles chopped off.   When you're trading "walking away" is the most important skill you have.  Think of the market as dating opportunities 24 hours a day, 5 days a week, with opportunities almost every hour.   You need to know when to walk away and sit out a trade.  Sure the Moving Averages look good, the MACD looks good, but there is news coming up and the trend analysis doesn't look good.  Walk away. Save yourself the headache.

The minute she wants to be friends...  When her ex is back in the picture...  When she starts showing some real emotional issues...  When you just don't feel the connection...

#8  The Routine

I have been on countless dates.   It's really down to a routine.   I meet for coffee, always after sunset, so it's more intimate, and I never go for dinner.  I get to know the girl, what she does for work, for fun, her family, what she's looking for.  I crack some jokes. Tease her a little.  See how her body language responds.  Is she smiling, giggling.  Touching me.  Then I ask her to come back to my place for a night cap or to watch a movie.    Maybe a bit aggressive but why bother with date 2 or 3 when there is no chemistry and trust on the first date.  And as for just coffee, well I find dinners overrated, time consuming, and boring.  I don't like to eat out and find when a girl is more interested in how much money you spend on her than she is in just having a conversation in a neutral setting, then she isn't worth my attention.   That's me, that's my routine.  I am happy.

When it comes to trading my routine is not dissimilar.  I get up in the morning, drink a glass of water, then make Strong Espresso.  If and only if I'm fully awake then I glimpse at the market.  Get to know the market.  I do the same basic checks, what's the big picture, where is the market moving now, what news is coming up, what are my indicators telling me.   Are the indicators favorable. Am I liking the situation.  What is the risk, what is the reward?   Sometimes I walk away, sometimes I make a move.   If I have made a trade I will keep an eye on it.   Around lunch and dinner times (they happen to coincide with Europe Open and US Open Times), I have another look and see what is developing.  If I don't see anything I'm usually happy.   Just like I'm happy to ditch a date from hell by taking that emergency phone call "Oh my god, what happened?  I'll be right there" "Sorry gotta go".     I know far to well that waking up next to a basket case is just as bad as hitting a Big Fat Stop Loss.   I either go out on a real date at this point, do sports, or watch a movie.   Eventually bed time hits and the next morning I repeat my routine.

I keep a normal routine.  I don't believe in working late. I don't believe in trading all hours of the day.  I believe in trading around your lifestyle and schedule.   Integrating trading with my lifestyle.  Of course there are times you have to make trading a priority, just like you make that hottie with the hourglass shape a priority when she smiles and asks you what you're doing later tonight.

All in all trading is like dating.  A lot of gotchas.  A lot of lessons learned.  Eventually you will have it down to a routine and enjoy that routine.

Happy Dating. ;)

Smart Goals

When I was building businesses for a living one of the most important aspects of owning a business was to have goals.  And not just any goals, but Smart Goals.  Without them you don't have a business and you don't have a trading plan, you're just winging it Gambling per se.  I can tell you here and now that any business owner that had Smart Goals did 10 times better than business owners without.   Having me coach them and hold them accountable helped too. ;)

S.M.A.R.T.  Goals are Specific.  Measureable. Attainable. Realistic. Time lined.

• Specific.   General goals like "I want to make money from trading" are too vague.  You need to be precise and concise.  Know what you want and be specific.  Ask yourself, Who, What, Where, When, Which, Why.   A specific goal would be "I will start trading a demo account and trade every weekday for at least 15 minutes."
• Measurable.   Without a sense of urgency or commitment, goals can be like your New Years Resolutions.   They're there but have no substance.  You have to hold yourself accountable and set yourself up for success.  You need to be able to measure your success and put some numbers to them.   How long will you trade per day?  How many trades will you make?  How much money do you need to make?  (Read Pips versus Dollars tomorrow).  When will you know you have hit your goal? 
• Attainable.  When you set goals, start thinking about the possibilities, obviously those opportunities should be attainable.   So be honest with yourself and know what you can and can not do, in what timeframe.  What skills do you need to develop.  What preparations need to be done.   Will you do it on your own?   Do you need help from someone to coach you through it?
• Realistic.  Don't be afraid to dream big BUT make sure it's attainable and realistic.   Your goals must be realistic.  Your goals should be high enough to motivate you and give you a little bit of struggle.  Low goals don't motivate and give you little in return.    Financial Freedom, sure.  Leave your job tomorrow and start trading with your life savings. NO.   Trade part time, study, learn, improve your skills, first using a demo account, then if certain goals are met, with a real account.   Again ask yourself if you want to travel the road by yourself or have an experienced professional, a coach, available to guide you through it.
• Time lined.    ASAP (As Soon As Possible) or PDQ (Pretty Damn Quick) isn't good enough.  You might as well just say "I will do it someday".     You need to have specific time lines in place.  Your goals have to be timely or tangible.
  
  For example, I will trade a demo account for one year, with the help of a professional, while learning the fundamentals and basic, 4 hours a week to start, and then 2 hours per week after the first month, and 1 hour per week after the first 3 months.  As my learning curve goes up, my time and effort goes down.  I intend to make 10% ROI (return on investment) on my demo account in the first 3 months and re-evaluate my ROI once I have had 3 months experience.   In one year I intend to have made more positive than negative trades, and more positive pips than negative pips.  I will have weathered the four season of the forex market, made mistakes, learned from them, and I intend to update my trading plan every month and adjust it where necessary, with the help of my coach.   I will have enough free time to spend with family and friends, and not overcommit my time to trading.  Family. Friends. Work.  Come first.   At the end of the year I will revisit my trading plan and with the new knowledge and experience I have gained I will plan the next year, 3 years, and 5 years.  I will have completed my goals when I am making sufficient money from trading where it is more than just extra income and will consider trading full-time.  Or part-time.  Depending how I feel about my job, finances, and family time.  Trading will help me live the life-style that I choose. 

Sounds simple? It can be.  Just put your mind to it and make sure you put the time and effort into it.  The payoff is directly proportional.  Next you need stop thinking about money and start thinking pips!

A Chick in the Hand is Better Than Two in The Bush

My Thai Tutor was by the other day.  He is a Yoga Teacher and has been out of a job for quite a few months.  He needed some money "for a friend" so I made a deal for him to tutor me in Thai.  He speaks Thai fluently and being a Farang (Foreigner) like me it helps to have someone that speaks fluent English.

Just last week the topic of him needing work came up and I had asked why he didn't open a studio.  I suppose my previous life as a business coach got the better of me and I started running some numbers on what it would take for him to open a place and started quizzing him on what is required and gave him some suggestions on what is needed to run a business.

Wouldn't you know it he is now looking to raise money to pursue his dream.   As we got talking his sales instinct kicked in, and he started to try and sell me on investing with him.  I made it quite clear that what he needed was a business partner and the risk of investing was too great for me.   The funny thing is he doesn't see it that way (of course).  He only sees the upside.  Why wouldn't he.  He is looking for me to finance the studio 100% and put money in his pocket so he can afford to pay rent and put food on the table for him and his wife.  All the while adamant that he carries the risk.   I told him to give his head a shake but I suppose his stubbornness just doesn't see the forest for all the trees are blocking his view.

A couple days ago he came by again trying to sell me.  At this point I had already given him more business advice than he was able to retain.  So we touched on the partnership agreement again and I made it quite clear that there was no chance of me financing 100% of the venture to get only 49% ownership. In other words he would have complete control of my money and the company.  His reasoning was that if he wasn't the majority shareholder he would be still an employee.   Which of course isn't the case.   The conversation shifted somehow to the potential of the company and reeling him back into reality I said look, "A chick in hand is better than two in the bush".   A phrase that implies that a guaranteed profit is better than two potential leads.   At this stage I'm not sure if he was just stubborn, or wanted to prove out of the box thinking, or simply didn't get it but he wanted to argue that the possibility of catching 2 chickens is better than having one in the hand.  

In any event he clearly still has the mind set of an employee.   Employees want no risk and just the rewards, they want a steady paycheck, a 9 to 5 gig, and the ability to just shut off when they feel like it.  If you have owned a business you know that as a business owner you work harder than all your employees, carry all the risk, and you are not guaranteed a pay check.   You also know that a chick in hand is better than two in the bush.   Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow.  

As a day trader you have to know your risk, your reward, and not let go of good trades because you are chasing more trades.    As a trader you don't have a steady paycheck.  Just like a business owner you have to be careful not to chase rainbows.  You need to be very well grounded and take baby steps in your trading.   Risk. Reward.  How many pips are you willing to risk to make your take profit?  When you've made a good trade and you're in the plus, don't get tempted to look for more trades.  You have a chick in hand.  Hang on to it and don't trade it for two in the bush.

You have probably been there where you are just itching to make a trade.  Waiting for conditions to be just right.  Maybe you missed a good trade and now you are kicking yourself and dying to make up for it. Or your ego is getting the better of you as you're reviewing your account history and you say to yourself a couple more trades and I'm done for the day. When you should be focusing on the one and only thing that matters.  The chick in hand.  Don't chase dreams. 

Ground yourself and be realistic.   You should have a trading plan and some rules about when you will and will not trade.  When you will and will not cash out.   You need to look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you cannot trade every day.  You might have to wait a week or two to make a trade. So be it.

Insanity is a Full Time Job

In all likelihood you are familiar with Albert Einstein's quote:  "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."


Insanity truly is a full-time job.  On so many levels.

• Making mistakes over and over again will keep you busy all day long.  Without desired results. So you keep on repeating and spending more time, energy, and focus on something that is likely to fail again.
• Full-time trading is overkill.  Sure there are traders that live for being glued in front of their computer screen 24 hours a day, 5 days a week, and perhaps even keeping busy somehow with analyzing trades on the weekend.  It is fun for sure.  When I first go into trading that's how it was for me.  BUT and this is a biggie, in my opinion, it's like a sport.  You don't want to over-exhaust yourself and play Badminton 4 hours per day, lift weights 4 hours a day, and then go for a 20K run.  Every day.   Your body needs rest.  So does your mind.   And if you get hooked on a sport, say running, and you love that runner's high, you can get away with running every day for a while but soon enough your body will tell you that you need to pace yourself.  Run every other day. Or just run a little every day but rest once or twice a week.  Sometimes your body (and your mind!) needs rest every couple months for a week or two.   So don't overtrade.  Pace yourself.  Sports may be a "healthy" addiction, Trading is not.  Either way even healthy addictions can bite you in the ass. Do everything in moderation.
• A full-time job does drive me insane.  I just don't have the time and energy to deal with all the b.s. for little pay.  Or even great pay for that matter.  Making $200,000 / year is great.  But if it doesn't fit your lifestyle and you are not happy then you are going to insane trying to fit in and "ride it out".  Sure in 5 years you have made a million, and in 10 years you will have saved a million from the 2 million you made.  BUT life has gone by and you will never get that time back.  If you are unhappy and rich, you are still unhappy.   If you are happy then it doesn't matter how much you make, every day is a gift, and you realize that you don't need much to survive.  I have learnt this the hard way but now I am in Thailand living it.  Don't get me wrong, I still make good money, I don't make $200,000 a year.  Because I don't need it.  I make more than I need to live.  If I want to go to Europe then I just make the money I need and then go.  It's similar to planting a garden.  Why plant more than you can eat?  Sure you'll have some extras to give to neighbours but why plant a field of Basil when you just need a couple bushes.
• Lifestyle.   Sit back and ask yourself "Why was I born?"  "What is life's purpose?"  "What makes me happy?"   "Where do I want to be in 1 year, 3 years, 5 years?"   "When it's time for me to move on and leave this world, what will I look back on?"   Chances are you don't think working is your life's mission.   My motto is "Work to live, not live to work!"
• Not all day's can be sunny days.  You are going to drive yourself insane thinking you need to trade every day.   Life isn't all sunshine and lollipops.  There will be rain, there will be bad weather, life will happen.  So don't expect to be trading every day.  The sun is brightest after darkness.   Find other things to do on "rainy days".

Stay Sane.  Trade in Moderation.  And please get help from an expert.   I just discussed this with my friends Mr. Teddy and Mr. Jai.  If you learn to golf, you should start with a pro.   Sure you can try on your own and get golf tips from someone that plays well.   But you will develop bad habits and eventually realize you spent all this time, effort, and money, and are still doing it wrong!  Then you will seek out a pro, and he will have to reteach you everything, break your bad habits.  That takes more time, effort, and money than learning how to play golf from a pro in the first place.  Please find yourself a good Forex Coach.   If it's not me, that's fine.  I don't take on many people.  BUT be careful to select the right one.  Unfortunately when it comes to money and investments, there are a lot of scams and cons out there.  A lot of "golf pros" that have never played "professional golf" but make money from teaching.

....to be continued

Rotten Fruit

Arriving home from Thai Language class I went to grab a banana and had ants and fruit flies everywhere due to the bananas' ripening.  Don't you hate it when you have to throw out food?  All the best intentions in the world justify your decision to buy fruits, vegetables, and other food with expiry dates.  And for whatever reason you then are faced with having to throw out rotten food.

Once in a while we need "rotten fruit" as reminders.  Growing up in a world where there is a surplus of food, we take it for granted and don't realize how good we have it.  Others are starving.  My parents often told me about their experience growing up in Post World War 2 where they counted how many peas one could have for dinner.  And that was the only dinner.  Potatoes and other vegetables were traded on the black market.  Not only do we not appreciate today's abundance of food, but it hinders our creative thought process and drive.   Arnold Schwarzenegger when asked what made him successful said "Stay Hungry".  Overfed hunters lose their ability to hunt.  The well fed are not hungry enough to strive for more.   When you are constantly hungry you strive to do better, to do more with less.   So in a way when it comes to shopping and cooking, today's meals aren't as creative as they used to be.  In the post world war 2 days one had to come up with creative way to make do with what they had.   Don't be fooled by so called "peasant foods".  They are nutritious, delicious, and filling.  Here in Thailand I get more satisfaction from cheap food rich in herbs and taste, say Pad Kaprao, than from a meal that costs me 10 times as much, perhaps Thai but mostly Western.

Shopping only for the next dinner is far more rewarding. It eliminates waste.  Your ingredients are fresh.  And if you are in a bind because your fridge is somewhat bare, suddenly that one vegetable, fruit, or food item, that would have been overlooked in a full fridge, becomes inspiration for creativity.  You tend to think more about what you are going to cook and how, rather than think about eating, and perhaps eat more because you just have to have the pudding, crepes, and yogurt because it's there looking at you.  And after you are full and over nourished.  Intoxicated by overstimulation.   If you had to go hunting again, you'd have not will or interest.  Worse yet you are going to get fat and your body and mind will be stressed.

Trading is not dissimilar.   There are plenty of trade opportunities. Plenty of pairs.  The market is open 24 hours a day, 5 days week.  You can go long on EURUSD, short on USDJPY, heck you can hedge your trades if you feel the market will swing either way.   Is that a good thing?  Or are you juggling too many balls?   Too many moving parts.   Too many eggs in the basket.     Bitten off too much to chew.   You might get lucky and all your trades go well.  Or you could choke on that big bite and with more at risk, you lose more.

Stay hungry.  Go for low hanging fruit and only pick what you need to eat today.   There will be low hanging fruit again.  Don't over trade.  Trade only when the market conditions are strongly in your favor and you have minimized your risk.

Forex and Your Health

We tend to focus on work, the market, making money and are too busy to focus on our health.   It's pretty easy to develop bad habits.  Smoking, drinking, junk food, GMO food, and other guilty pleasures.

When you are a day trader you have a wonderful opportunity to focus on your health.  In turn you will be rewarded with a clear mind, energy, and ability to better handle stressful situations.  Plus who really enjoys trading from the hospital bed or feeling like crap, right?

Health is so important.  We put premium fuel in our cars yet we put junk food in our bodies.    If you put bad fuel in your car you'll notice it pretty much within driving a few kilometers.  Perhaps in a week at most.  However if you put bad food in your body or neglect your healthy it can take weeks, months, or years to catch up.  If you are "lucky" enough it won't catch up till you are old and your bones are brittle because your body had to get it's nutrients from your bones.

I'm no health expert but I have read up on the subject quite a bit and met many people with all sorts of illnesses like MS who have turned their life around, without medication or drugs, and gone on to become healthy or healthier.  That is what triggered my interest in health.  Plus I have had some personal experiences that made me a believer in keeping healthy.

Keeping healthy to me means I can trade with a clear mind, feel great, and have no medical issues.

My Health Tips:

• Drink 3 glasses of water first thing in the morning before brushing teeth
• Drink Lemon Water (freshly squeezed)
• Don't drink pop.  Coke, Pepsi etc. 
• Stay away from artificial sweeteners
• Drink carbonated water (with lemon) if you crave something more than water
• Drink Kombucha - read more about Kombucha here
• Stay away from wheat (gluten), white sugar, white rice, processed foods, cereals, microwaves
• Read the ingredients, if they are not all natural and contain too many chemicals and long words, they are likely bad.
• Know your good sugars (fruits, vegetables) and bad sugars (corn, fructose, glucose, etc)
• Know your good fats (greek yogurt, olive oil, coconut oil) and bad fats (vegetable oil, hydrogenated)
• Butter not Margarine
• NON GMO - Genetically Modified Foods are just evil.  Read more here
• Most Milk and Dairy Products are bad for you.  Look for Non GMO, non pasteurized, no antibiotics, free range, etc.  Again read more on non gmo above.
• Eat lots of vegetables and fruits.  Fresh from the market.
• Limit your meat intake.
• Follow the 80/20 rule.  80% vegetables/fruits/brown rice  20% meat (except fish can be 100%)
• Make your own chocolate, breakfast, etc, it's easier than you think!  see my health tip collection below
• Sunday declare "free day", allow yourself to eat anything you want.  Even junk food.
• Exercise at least 3 times a week.  Try Yoga.  Badminton/Squash. Swimming. Walking.
• Easy on the alcohol.  See "free day".
• Find natural alternatives to any medicine.  The word disease comes from dis-ease.  Meaning something is uncomfortable. Your body's way of saying you need to do a self diagnosis.  For example, if you have a headache your body doesn't say I need an aspirin. It's a sign that you need rest or water. 
• Surround yourself with positive people that make you happy.  Do not associate with any negative, unhealthy people.  Cut out drama, negativity, and stress from your life.
• Sex every day  (S)leep lots, (E)at Healthy, e(X)ercise
• For more Health Tips see this collection of pictures

Visa Rules

When you start traveling more and stay for longer periods of time then you need to start getting familiar with Visa Rules.   I never used to pay much attention to be honest, I have a Canadian Passport and most countries will issue visa on arrival.  Even when I lived and worked in Europe for a couple years I never ran into any issues even though visa rules say I can only spend 6 months out of the year in Europe.  Perhaps having been born in Europe helped and speaking German fluently.  It sure helped when getting pulled over doing 220km/h in a 120km/h zone, but that's another story.

Now that I live in Thailand I have to pay closer attention to Visa Rules.   The Thai Visa Rules just changed and now you can only get 30 days on arrival (via plane) and renew 1 time for another 30 days.  Thereafter you have to leave again and re-enter.   Entry by land can get you less time, 15 days.  And border guards now check for proof of at least 20,000 Baht.

Some other visa options are a work-visa.  No thanks! :)   Retirement visa, age 50 and up.  (Still have a few years to wait on that one) which gives you a 1 year visa that is renewable every year.   Or in my case an education visa which gives you one year and can be renewed once, maybe twice, but you have to leave the country and come back.   Since I want to learn the language and have time on my hands this is what I chose.   Traveling every 60 days and re-entering is another option but to be honest I don't want to go because I have to, but rather travel when I feel like it.  With an education visa (as with work and retirement visas) you can also buy motorbikes, cars, and get Thai driver's licenses).

Lately I have been getting the travel itch again and I'm starting to miss some aspects of Western lifestyle.  So I'm considering going back home to Vienna Austria again for a couple weeks and potentially set up shop for 6 months out of the year.  There or in Malta.   Or perhaps Spain.  Somewhere warm would be nice with European food and culture.  Only downfall is that the food, although very good, isn't as healthy as Thai cuisine, and sure is more expensive to dine out.

Oh one visa I forgot is the family visa, if you are married to a Thai or have Thai children then you also have one year renewable visas without needing to re-enter Thailand.

When it comes to Visa Rules you are best off checking your destinations visa laws if you plan on staying for 30 days or longer.   Some countries like Russia, China, Vietnam, and Cambodia are tougher too and you need all sorts of paperwork.

You have heard of first world country problems.  Well I suppose you can call these Day Trader problems.  I don't know about you but I like to stay in a place for more than a few weeks and set up some sort of a comfortable trading environment.  Budget-wise being able to rent long term has it's benefits too.  1 week in a hotel is the equivalent to 1 month's rent in a house.  So it pays to stay longer.

Life of A Day Trader - The Weekend

For some traders the weekend is a difficult time.  They have an itch to trade, are worried about their negative trades, or are regretting all the "things to do" they pushed off to the weekend.

When you trade for a living you need to manage your time.  Don't lie to yourself.  Don't push things off.  Keep a list.  Just get to things when you can.  Only put target dates for important things...  Like "Exit all trades before NFP".

Weekends are often best spent doing anything but trading.   When you train in the gym or play sports you need a day or two in between to recuperate.  You should do the same when you trade.  Take a time out.  Step away.  Overtrading like overtraining will catch up with you.  Sometimes it's good to take a week or two off entirely.  Notice how your work outs become more fun and bring better results when you get back from time off?   Same goes for trading.  Just like in relationships, when one door closes, another will open.  Missed a trade today?  Don't worry, one will come along soon enough.

Are You Happy?

The best traders are happy traders.   Don't be fooled into thinking trading will make you happy.   It's all about your lifestyle choices.   Trading isn't the answer to happiness.   You know the saying "Money isn't everything".    Sure money helps.  A lot.  BUT if you hare unhappy all the money in the world can't change that.   Trading won't either.

You need to focus on what makes you happy.  Your surroundings.  The land, the people, the food, your health, friends, family, etc.   Surround yourself with happy people and it will become so much easier to stay positive.  And when you are happy and positive, your trading becomes easier.  After all, trading is just a small part of your life.  Yet it enables you to live such a good life.  Like any job or business, do it with passion but don't let it consume your life.

For me happiness is somewhere warm with mild or no winters, with healthy food, friendly people, access to the internet, movie theatre, yoga, badminton, low crime, with an airport nearby so I can jetset when and if I want.   That place for me is Thailand.  Although I am considering checking out Malta.

Sometimes you also have to make hard decisions and cut out the things or people that make you unhappy.  For example the weather, rude people, money hungry self absorbed people, unhealthy food, too much TV, bad habits like smoking or excessive drinking.   All in all you might need to change your friends and surround yourself with people that strive to be positive, healthy, and happy. 

Bottom line.  Focus on you and your happiness.  Your trading will fall into place.