What It Takes To Truly Trade In The Zone

Greg Louganis' quote speaks a vital truth about peak performance.  Many of us seek mindfulness through meditation when we are still, in a quiet environment.  Peak performance demands something yet greater: the maintenance of the clear, mindful "zone" while we are in motion--that is, while we are performing.  

A major challenge for traders is that we become so market-focused and caught up in chats and news flows that we lose the zone.  We become frenzy in motion, not meditation in motion.

The recent article I wrote for Forbes addresses this dilemma and offers a unique solution: using a simple calendar app to sustain deliberate practice and the peak performance mindset.

Imagine being a trader and reviewing your performance and setting goals each week.  Now imagine turning the wheel faster and creating rapid review and goal-setting processes each day.  Quite simply, to use a gym analogy, you're getting more reps than the person who comes into the weight room only occasionally.  Learning has the potential to become elite development when every day of performance also serves as targeted practice.

Why is this important?  It's because there is a mutually reinforcing relationship between peak performance and peak emotional experience.  It is when we push our boundaries and expand our competence across all areas of life that we are most likely to experience happiness, fulfillment, energy, and closeness with others.  And it is when we are most energized by positive experience that we're most likely to channel that energy into meaningful development.

Many traders sense that it wouldn't take much to bring them to that next level of performance.  I suspect they're right:  they just need more and better reps in life's gym.

Further Reading:  Turning Your Calendar Into A Peak Performance Tool
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