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.
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Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD flatlines below 1.1800 amid trading lull, awaits Fed Minutes
EUR/USD trades around a flatline below 1.1800 in European trading on Tuesday. The pair lacks any trading impetus as the US Dollar moves little amid market caution ahead of the Fed's December Meeting Minutes release, which could offer insights into the Federal Reserve’s 2026 outlook.
GBP/USD retakes 1.3500 despite the year-end grind
GBP/USD finds fresh demand and retakes 1.3500 on Tuesday as markets grind through the last trading week of the year. Despite the latest uptick, the pair is unlikely to see further progress due to the year-end holiday volumes.
USD/JPY rises back above 156.00, shrugs off Yentervention risks
USD/JPY is back in the green above the 156.00 region in Tuesday's Asian trading. The pair shrugs off impending risks of a forex market intervention by the Japanese officials. Volatility is expected to widen during the last trading week of 2025, and follow into early 2026 as holiday-thinned market volumes wreak havoc on general market trends.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD flatlines below 1.1800 amid trading lull, awaits Fed Minutes
EUR/USD trades around a flatline below 1.1800 in European trading on Tuesday. The pair lacks any trading impetus as the US Dollar moves little amid market caution ahead of the Fed's December Meeting Minutes release, which could offer insights into the Federal Reserve’s 2026 outlook.
GBP/USD retakes 1.3500 despite the year-end grind
GBP/USD finds fresh demand and retakes 1.3500 on Tuesday as markets grind through the last trading week of the year. Despite the latest uptick, the pair is unlikely to see further progress due to the year-end holiday volumes.
Gold holds the bounce on Fed rate cut bets, safe-haven flows
Gold holds the rebound near $4,350 in the European trading hours on Tuesday. The precious metal recovers some lost ground after falling 4.5% in the previous session, which was Gold's largest single-day loss since October. Increased margin requirements on gold and silver futures by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group, one of the world’s largest trading floors for commodities, prompted widespread profit-taking and portfolio rebalancing.
Tron steadies as Justin Sun invests $18 million in Tron Inc.
Tron (TRX) trades above $0.2800 at press time on Monday, hovering below the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $0.2859.
Bitcoin Price Annual Forecast: BTC holds long-term bullish structure heading into 2026
Bitcoin (BTC) is wrapping up 2025 as one of its most eventful years, defined by unprecedented institutional participation, major regulatory developments, and extreme price volatility.
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