I’m two months into my 20-month braces journey, so that means I’m about 10% in, 90% to go.
And looking back from when I first found out I needed braces to the day I actually got them installed, I’m realizing there’s a lot that I experienced and learned that I think a lot of new traders can relate to.
Do Your Research In Advance
Heading into getting braces put on as an adult, I’ll be honest, I didn’t do all that much research. I was more concerned with how many visits I’d have to make driving out to the office, and how I’d feel the first couple of days.
What I had NO idea about was the impact it would have on my day-to-day life for many, many weeks. Had I done the research in advance of the installation, I would have been less surprised by how difficult it was in the beginning.
I think this is something a lot of beginner traders do, and I don’t blame them.
I mean how many more videos can we see from traders talking about “insane results”? Teeing up the situation where it seems like anybody can get into trading and just make a killing out of the gates?
A lot of traders and educators don’t really outline the potholes that might be waiting for you because they don’t want to discourage your excitement.
So I’ve realized that any new venture, especially relating to health or wealth, is something I should do more research on in advance.
Using Ai In Your Trading (Not What You Think)
Ai isn’t just a tool to analyze charts or crunch spreadsheets. It can actually be a really useful placeholder as a thought journal.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying Ai is a trading coach or a therapist or anything like that. But it can be a great container for tracking symptoms, progress, and observations.
I started doing that the day I got braces. I made one thread in my personal ChatGPT and just shared updates on how I was feeling, days when I felt good, days when I didn’t feel so great, and how I was managing my braces in between. The unique floss, the beeswax for the mouth sores, the special cleaning, it’s a lot.
I sometimes slipped into asking ChatGPT for advice, but I did that within the confines of the documentation and guidelines I uploaded from my orthodontist, so I wasn’t just acting blindly.
You can do something similar in trading if a traditional journal feels daunting.
You could use an LLM thread – ChatGPT, Claude, any of them – to track your trades. You can simply share why you made the trade, the details of it, what you’re looking for, as if you were about to explain to a fellow trader over coffee.
So even if you came into trading with expectations that didn’t meet reality and you felt the pain, like with my braces, there’s still hope. You can use AI, which is clearly here to stay, to help document your early, intermediate, and advanced journey in a way traders simply never had access to before.
The Truth About Trading
In my latest visit my orthodontist confirmed that my teeth look good, they’re moving the way they’re supposed to, and everything is on track. My biggest fear was that I wasn’t keeping them clean enough, but he didn’t comment on that, so I figured I must be doing okay.
Then he reminded me of something I hadn’t really thought about. When the braces come off, there will be a mold made of my newly shaped teeth and newly expanded jaw.
And then I’ll have to wear a retainer for the rest of my life to keep everything in place so I don’t end up back in braces again.
My jaw dropped.
I had really thought it was 20 months of braces and… clear.
But this reminded me of trading, because it really is a journey, not a single destination.
Something my late father used to say came back to me…
When we were kids, we’d ask him, “How old are you, Dad?” and he’d say, “I’m 16.”
And we’d laugh and say, “No really.”
And he’d say, “I’m young – because I never stop learning.”
I love that. Because while none of us can stop chronological time, we can keep our minds sharp. And I know that’s one reason a lot of you trade.
We have a 90-plus-year-old member in the First 40 Trading Club who diligently comes to sessions, takes notes, makes thoughtful comments, and continues progressing in his trading journey.
I love seeing that because it’s such a good reminder that it’s never too late to start, and that trading, learning, and improving are all part of an ongoing journey forward.
👉 PS — Trader Trainings Next Week!
The Trader Training calendar has been updated! Here’s what’s on deck:
- Ticker Request Live — free weekly trading show
📅 Tuesday, May 19th at 4:30 PM ET - Bonus Candle Camp for Gann Candlesticks members
📅 Wednesday, May 20th at 4:30 PM ET - LIVE Q&A RSI Power Zones Scanner Beta
📅 Thursday, May 21st at 4:30 PM ET
Visit himareddy.com/events for full details and registration.
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