The Stoic Is A Work In Progress
"Show me someone sick and happy, in danger and happy, dying and happy, exiled and happy, disgraced and happy. Show me! By God, how much I'd like to see a Stoic. But since you can't show me someone that perfectly formed, at least show me someone actively forming themselves so, inclined in this way. . . . Show me!"
— Epictetus, Discourses
The same once again can be said about trading, when we digest today's meditation.
If we can apply the correct trading mindset and look to improve, every day that we trade, we are making incremental progress along the way.
It was a reminder from the stoic, Epictetus "of the constant work and serious training needed every day if we are ever to approach that perfect form."
We must stick to the plan 100% by making sure that the rules/criteria for our strategies are fully met before we enter a trade and then we must manage that trade to completion, whether it goes to plan or not!
It is vitally important to remember in our trading journey as in life, that we are not the finished article and there is always room for self-improvement!
Trading and responding perfectly to every possible situation, is an ideal, not an end. We are only as good as our last trade so we need to be fully focused and "in the zone" to ensure that we consistently maintain the high standards that we have set for ourselves.
Just like "the stoic is a work in progress;" so is the trader.