But I felt that a half marathon would be a good way to gauge how much more work I really had to do.  So back in May of this year, I decided to attempt my first half marathon.

I wasn't sure how I would do.  Before that, I never ran more than 8 miles at a time.  I was pretty sure that I would finish 13.1 miles…or would I?  Maybe I would get a cramp and not be able to finish.  That is the kind of stuff that was going through my head.

But luckily, I did finish (proof below) and it was a great experience.  I didn't do that great, but I also did a lot better than I expected. My final time was about 2 hours and 12 minutes.

At the end, I did walk quite a bit, so if I was in good shape, I could have come in under 2 hours.  Even though I did end up walking, I wasn't nearly as tired as I thought I would be.

All in all, it was a great experience and I after I finished the half marathon, I realized how many lessons from the run can be applied to trading.  Here are my thoughts…

1.  I can do a lot when I get out of my comfort zone

It is easy for people to settle into their comfort zone and that was the case for me.  Even though I do have a goal of finishing a full marathon, it easy to get complacent and fall into the “some day” syndrome.  Taking a small step like doing a half marathon was a great way to build my running confidence, get away from the computer and enjoy a beautiful day.

How can we step outside of our trading comfort zone and become the best traders we can be?  I'm not talking about taking crazy risks, but forcing ourselves to get better and not settle for the results we have been getting in the past.  Even if it is just a small step, getting a little uncomfortable can really get your momentum moving in the right direction.

2.  Concentrate on consistency and do not compare yourself to others

There were some runners that got a really fast start and wanted to beat everyone right out of the gate.  But later on, I passed many of them because they burned out too early.

I also saw other runners get sucked into the starting line excitement and try to keep up with these people who were fast at the start.  Granted, a few of these quick starters were legit runners, but most of them were not.

How many times do we see this in trading?  People want to get rich quick or they feel that they have to trade as well as so-and-so.  They do not take the time to understand how to trade properly and that you have to be into it for the long haul.  Remember to concentrate on trading well and not on beating others.

3.  Surrounding yourself with people who encourage you to test your limits makes all the difference

I really have to credit this accomplishment to the encouragement of my girlfriend.  She has completed several marathons and many half marathons and without her, I might have never done it.  I am very grateful that she encouraged me to do it and that she was there to cheer me on at the finish.

How many people do you know that actually encourage you to become a trader?  Not many I would assume.  Many people think that it is like gambling or see it as a get rich quick scheme.  As you and I know since others have done it before, there is no reason why we cannot do it too.

Figure out how to surround yourself with other people who have similar trading goals as you.  Go to (or start) a meetup group, talk to people online or go to seminars.  The people you surround yourself with, make all the difference in life and in trading.

If you are interested, I have quietly opened up my underground trading systems development community.  It is called The Currency Alliance and it may just be what you are looking for to find other traders to support and encourage you.

Conclusion

Now that I have one half marathon under my belt, I'm looking forward to doing another one.  Maybe two. Then, it is on to the big goal of finishing the full marathon.  This experience has given me a lot of confidence that I can finish the full marathon.  It won't be easy, but I can do it.

This experience has also reminded me that I need to get out and do things like this on a regular basis.  Sitting in front of my computer for longs periods of time can take its toll.  Running got me out of the house and got my mind off of trading for awhile…

…and as we know, we are usually at our best when we can come back refreshed and ready to go.

It's your turn.  What are you going to do in the next three days that will push your limits and achieve something that you have thought was impossible or something that you have been hesitant about doing?  If you need some encouragement, let us know about it and we are here to support you!  Let us know in the comments below.

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The post 3 Trading Lessons From Finishing My First Half Marathon appeared first on Trading Heroes.

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you probably saw my pictures from the San Francisco Bay Area last week. I had a great time and was able to take a much needed break from my 9 to 5 job. I was still following the markets however and did place a few trades.

More on that in another post…

One of my missions on the trip was to finally cross off one of my bucket list items…visit the Winchester Mystery House. Yes, it is a cheesy tourist attraction, but it is something that I have always wanted to see in person.

…and it is supposed to be haunted.

A Little History on the Winchester Mystery House

If you are not familiar with the Winchester Mystery House, it was built by Sarah Winchester, widow of William Winchester, of Winchester rifle fame. She started building the house in 1884 and it was continually being worked on until her death in 1922.

She got the money to do this from a $20 million inheritance and her inherited stake in the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, which provided her with an income of almost $1,000 per DAY! If you think that is a lot of money now, imagine back in the late 1800's.

As the story goes, after Sarah's husband and daughter died tragically, she was told by a medium that she must move out West from her home on the East Coast and build a home. However, if she wanted to live forever, work on the house could not be completed. It has also been said that she believed that continually working on the house kept the spirits of the people killed by the Winchester rifle, happy.

Of course, these are just stories. But looking at the house, there had to be some truth to a lot of it because what else would inspire someone to create a house that is so completely ridiculous.

Unfortunately, they did not allow us to take photos of the inside because of an exclusive movie contract or something, but I did get some great external shots since it was such a nice day. At the peak of construction, the house stood seven stories tall, but the higher floors (as well as other parts of the house) fell in the earthquakes of 1909 and 1989.

Is it Worth Seeing?

Although it does look like a Disney-style haunted house and the gift shop is way too big for its own good, I would highly recommend checking it out. There are tons of pictures on the internet showing the interior of the house, but they do not do it justice. This is something that you need to see in person to truly appreciate.

The head-on collision between money, good taste, superstition and an utter lack of planning is absolutely mad. There is beautiful wallpaper and amazing Tiffany window panes amidst stairs that lead to nowhere and half finished rooms.

As for the stories of the house being haunted, I didn't get any weird feelings walking through the house. But all alone at night, it might be a different story. However, numerous paranormal experiences have been reported. Maybe the spirits had the day off when I was there.

Craziness aside, the property is very well run and the guides do a great job of pointing out all of the areas of interest on the 4.5 acre estate. There is an aviary, stable and many other interesting things to see besides the dysfunctional house, so I would recommend getting the Grand Estate Tour for only $5 more.

If this is something that you want to add to your bucket list, be sure to bookmark the Winchester Mystery House Website and drop in when you are in the San Jose area.

The reason I blog about these experiences is because I want my trading to create more of these unique life experiences. What have you crossed off your bucket list lately? Tell us about it below and if you have some pictures, feel free to leave a link!

If you don't have a bucket list or haven't crossed off anything lately, I challenge you to get off your ass and think of something you would love to do that you haven't done before. It doesn't have to cost money…it could be something as simple as skinny dipping in the ocean.

Have fun!

The post Heroic List #82 Done: See the Winchester Mystery House appeared first on Trading Heroes.