It was interesting interviewing Dr. Ari Kiev, performance psychiatrist and trading coach to some pretty famous traders earlier today for the Daily Planet. I had read some of Kiev's work, and completely got how his work in helping traders deal with their psychological issues dovetailed with the same sorts of issues that plague athletes.
It's not rocket science. But it never fails to impress me to hear a professional talk about what it takes to be successful at anything. The role of focus, discipline, prioritization ... all about providing yourself with the opportunity to succeed instead of, essentially, just wanting it to happen.
"Are you willing to do what it takes?" is a key question. If you want something, are you willing to do what it takes to get it? I think a lot of times that phrase has an ominous, "12 Labors of Hercules", tone to it. And surely doing "what it takes" is probably not as easy and instantly gratifying as a bowl of buttered popcorn and a baseball game that goes into extra innings (a.k.a. my perfect Friday evening from April through August). But rarely is "what it takes" impossible. And realizing that is the first crucial hurdle.
I need to train three times a week to get better at jiu jitsu. Two times a week will probably keep me from looking and feeling like a fool on the mat. But if I want to improve, then I need to train three times a week. The only questions are: what do I need to do to make that happen? And will I do what I need to do to make that happen?
