It comes to a point when the old 9 to 5 just doesn’t cut it anymore. For some it comes sooner than others, and for some that means they can’t just retire and enjoy some well-earned downtime. If the itch to do something other than work for the man comes at an early age (or even if it does hit later on, to be fair), and you want to try trading for a living, it really can be done. Honest.
If It was That Easy Everyone Would Be Doing It!
Now we didn’t say it would be easy. Far from it. There is a lot of time, effort and research – not to mention investment – that goes into trading for a living. You can’t just jump in feet first and assume all will be well. But then, there are many careers where you can do that and get away with it. As for everyone doing it, well, that’s up to them – they could if they knew the secrets!
You’ve Got To Love It!
Trading is one of those things that can be terribly exciting at the beginning and then that excitement fades away as the reality – and hard work – kicks in. Not everyone is cut out for trading for a living; it’s only the ones who truly, deeply love trading that get to do it for the long term. It makes sense. After all, why would you want to do a job you don’t like? That’s why you’re giving up the 9 to 5,remember?
Wait For It… Wait For It!
Patience is most definitely a virtue when it comes to trading for a living. Making sure the form is correct, checking that your chart really does match up, waiting, waiting, waiting for the right trades to come along… It can get the best of some people, especially those who don’t have it in them to be in it for the long haul. It’s okay not to have that kind of personality, it can’t be helped, but it’s not okay if you’re trading for a living because you’ll find that you begin to make crazy trades simply to have done something that day. And that’s how the money runs out.
You Must Be Disciplined
Don’t be tempted to stray from your set plan if you’re getting anxious about not trading. Discipline means sticking to the plot no matter what. You’ve spend a lot of time making sure it’s right, and now is not the time to forget all of that hard work and rush headlong into something that will net you a big fat loss.
Take A Risk… But Be Sensible
Trading for a living means constantly taking calculated risks, and, despite everything, there is always a chance that you could lose. Doing your homework beforehand, making sure your chart matches the trade and not picking something that falls short of your target will all help, but sometimes things happen that will be out of your control – and it happens to everyone. The key is only to trade with what you can afford to lose (just in case). Otherwise your ‘living’ won’t be paying the mortgage for very long.
Any opinions expressed by our company’s representatives regarding the prices of specific currencies and the direction they will take in the future are purely opinions and are used for demonstration or training purposed only. They do not necessarily represent the opinion of Thelazytrader.com are NOT guaranteed in any way. In no event shall Thelazytrader.com have any liability for any losses incurred in connection with any decision made, action or inaction taken by any party in reliance upon the information provided verbally or via the Internet, or any delays, inaccuracies, errors in, or omissions of information.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD deflates to fresh lows, targets 1.1600
The selling pressure on EUR/USD now gathers extra pace, prompting the pair to hit fresh multi-week lows in the 1.1625-1.1620 band on Friday. The continuation of the downward bias comes in response to further gains in the US Dollar as market participants continue to assess the mixed release of US Nonfarm Payrolls in December.
GBP/USD breaks below 1.3400, challenges the 200-day SMA
GBP/USD remains under heavy fire and retreats for the fourth consecutive day on Friday. Indeed, Cable suffers the strong performance of the Greenback, intensified post-mixed NFP, and trades at shouting distance from its critical 200-day SMA near 1.3380.
Japanese Yen weakens further; USD/JPY hits multi-week top on firmer USD ahead of US NFP
The Japanese Yen adds to its intraday losses through the first half of the European session amid the uncertainty over the timing of the next interest rate cut by the Bank of Japan and escalating China-Japan row. This, along with worries that consumption momentum could fade if inflation continues to outpace wage growth in early 2026, overshadows an unexpected rise in Japan's Household Spending data for November.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD: The world gyrates around the United States at the beginning of 2026 Premium
The EUR/USD pair started the new year with a soft tone, falling for a second consecutive week to settle around 1.1640, its lowest in a month. The US Dollar (USD) stands victorious across the FX board, backed by geopolitical uncertainty and pretty solid United States (US) employment data.
GBP/USD: Will Pound Sterling extend the corrective downside? Premium
The Pound Sterling (GBP) witnessed a steep correction against the US Dollar (USD), sending GBP/USD down from four-month highs of 1.3568 to test the weekly low near 1.3400.
Gold: Volatile start to 2026 as markets assess US data, geopolitics Premium
After losing more than 4% in the last week of the year, Gold (XAU/USD) gathered bullish momentum as trading conditions normalized. Although XAU/USD entered a consolidation phase following the rally seen earlier in the week, it managed to register weekly gains.
Bitcoin: Early-2026 rally falters as BTC investors await key catalyst
Bitcoin (BTC) is trading lower toward $90,000 on Friday after encountering rejection at a key resistance zone. The price pullback in BTC is supported by fading institutional demand, as spot Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) have recorded net outflows so far this week.
US Dollar: Greenback or Greenland? Premium
Another positive week for the US Dollar (USD) saw the US Dollar Index (DXY) extend a promising start to the new trading year, managing to at least scare away the spectre of being one of the worst-performing currencies during the last year.
RECOMMENDED LESSONS
Making money in forex is easy if you know how the bankers trade!
I’m often mystified in my educational forex articles why so many traders struggle to make consistent money out of forex trading. The answer has more to do with what they don’t know than what they do know. After working in investment banks for 20 years many of which were as a Chief trader its second knowledge how to extract cash out of the market.
5 Forex News Events You Need To Know
In the fast moving world of currency markets where huge moves can seemingly come from nowhere, it is extremely important for new traders to learn about the various economic indicators and forex news events and releases that shape the markets. Indeed, quickly getting a handle on which data to look out for, what it means, and how to trade it can see new traders quickly become far more profitable and sets up the road to long term success.
Top 10 Chart Patterns Every Trader Should Know
Chart patterns are one of the most effective trading tools for a trader. They are pure price-action, and form on the basis of underlying buying and selling pressure. Chart patterns have a proven track-record, and traders use them to identify continuation or reversal signals, to open positions and identify price targets.
7 Ways to Avoid Forex Scams
The forex industry is recently seeing more and more scams. Here are 7 ways to avoid losing your money in such scams: Forex scams are becoming frequent. Michael Greenberg reports on luxurious expenses, including a submarine bought from the money taken from forex traders. Here’s another report of a forex fraud. So, how can we avoid falling in such forex scams?
What Are the 10 Fatal Mistakes Traders Make
Trading is exciting. Trading is hard. Trading is extremely hard. Some say that it takes more than 10,000 hours to master. Others believe that trading is the way to quick riches. They might be both wrong. What is important to know that no matter how experienced you are, mistakes will be part of the trading process.
The challenge: Timing the market and trader psychology
Successful trading often comes down to timing – entering and exiting trades at the right moments. Yet timing the market is notoriously difficult, largely because human psychology can derail even the best plans. Two powerful emotions in particular – fear and greed – tend to drive trading decisions off course.