Today’s note has nothing to do with trading, and absolutely everything to do with trading.

Let me explain.

The solutions to trading problems aren’t always found when we’re trading. In fact, I would argue most of the time they aren’t. At least not for me.

Have you ever been in the shower, on a walk with your dog, or driving your car when suddenly you were struck with a fantastic idea or an important “to-do”? Not just about trading, but about anything?

Happens to me all the time.

Even worse, it seems that whenever I’m struck with a great idea or a prompt for an errand I need to do, they come in waves. The brainstorming just flows ideas out of my head in a torrent that makes it impossible for me to remember everything. And it always seems to happen when I have no ability to write it down.

So I just try to remember it all until later when I can either perform the task, send that email, write that blog post, make that trade, or adjust that strategy.

But this act of remembering prevents me from moving forward when all I’m trying to do is balance the spinning plates of thoughts running in my head.

Remembering consumes far more mental energy than is necessary.

Because of my limited mental capacity to maintain so many spinning plates, the majority of my great ideas and reminders inevitably are forgotten and never acted upon. At least, not in any kind of timely fashion that would be most beneficial to me or any projects I’m working on.

This past November, a book found me at just the right time and place that has completely transformed my productivity – both personally and professionally. This in turn has freed up so much time and headspace for me to make tremendous progress on long-term projects that have been festering, uncompleted, in the dark recesses of my mind for seeming ages. [Read more…]