What Separates The Best Traders From The Rest

 

8/2/2026 - I once noted that the point at which we grow old is the point at which we decide that the best of life is behind us.  It could be at age 30, 50, 70, or never.  A youthful mindset is one in which we perceive a bright future and decide to pursue it.  That could be in markets, in relationships, or in our work efforts; it could be in all of these.  When we fight for the future, as Ayn Rand pointed out, we live in it today.  The brightness of the future we work toward illuminates each of our days.  

In the Trading Psychology 3.0 book that I'm currently writing, I review the large number of books written either about or by accomplished traders.  What is clear as I research is that the great traders pursue markets not merely as a career or even as a passion, but as a quest.  When we are on a quest, we dedicate ourselves to a noble and inspiring end.  P/L by itself is not a quest.  For the greats, the true quest is for mastery and understanding.  Profitability is simply a way of keeping score.  

When we pursue our quest, our lives become ones of purpose, meaning, challenge, and fulfillment.  Our efforts give us energy:  they inspire us.  We look forward to each day--and that is the mindset of those who remain perpetually passionate, ever-youthful, knowing that the rest of their lives will be the best of their lives.