As my sabbatical comes to an end and I prepare to walk back into the world of trading, I felt that it was important to take note of all the lessons I learned from my time away.
And if you let me, I want to share those lessons with you….
But first, I want to share how I reached the point of needing a break in the first place.
Burning out — how did I let this happen?
For the last 7 years, trading has been my life. My all-encompassing life, for which I’ve put everything else in second place.
Why? You ask. What about work-life balance?
Well, I say, when you’re trying to survive, you do every single thing you can to make that happen. And that’s exactly what I did. It took many long nights, and a few tears, but I never questioned the amount of time or effort I put into trading. After all, I started off in trading for the sole purpose of taking care of my son, Leo. I wanted to financially provide for him on my own while still being able to spend time with him. I was bound and determined for that to happen.
And so, I traded and never stopped for seven. straight. years.
The irony of my actions
Over those years, trading began to carry as much importance to me as eating and sleeping. I loved it, but what I didn’t see was the irony of my actions. I started this journey in the first place to feel the freedom of a trader. To be financially free, to have more free time, and to live life with a little more cushion. But in actuality, by not allowing myself a break, I’d lost the freedom I was seeking in the first place. And that’s when I knew something had to change.
Change is a process.
My sabbatical was life-changing but initially difficult to adjust to. At first — I felt completely disoriented. I’m a trader at heart, after all. What happened to eat, sleep, trade, repeat? I felt lost and uncomfortable. But, now, almost 5 weeks later, I’ve grown through that and the lessons I’ve soaked up throughout this time are simple but life-changing.
Throughout this series, I’m going to talk about balance, love, nutrition, hobbies — and most of all, what we all want and how to get it and maintain it — the trader lifestyle.
Be on the lookout for next Thursday’s episode, where I’ll be talking about lesson one: balancing the constant pull between personal and professional life.
