Learning to Concentrate When Investing and Trading

What is concentration? For some traders, concentration is a mystical legend of some magical act performed by other traders, those who have access to magical spells. For others, it is a naturally occurring ability that is so second nature that they arent even really aware that they are concentrating. For the vast majority, however, concentration is an act that falls somewhere in between a magical feat and a second nature instinct. When we are feeling strong and positive, concentration comes easily. When we allow our negative emotions to cloud our ability to focus, we end up with poor concentration.

Concentration is the act of focusing on one external or internal position or task without disruption from other thoughts. That is why when we have negative feelings about something unrelated to the task at hand (or on occasion really excited feelings about some unrelated topic) we find concentration so difficult. The mind is generally controlled by what we want to see, think, and hear. When we want to be focusing on something outside of the task at hand, we often fail to keep our center of focus.

Why? Because when we have outside issues, we want to solve them as rapidly as possible, and that takes a percentage of mental energy. When we are focusing on highlights of our life (a new baby, vacations, a new love) we prefer the happy thoughts that thrill us when compared to the chore of trading in the face of an exciting event.

There are some physiological aspects to strong concentration skills. If you are poorly rested and are too tired to keep your eyes open while remaining in a seated position you are unlikely to concentrate on the trades at hand. The same applies to a body that is hungry and in need of sound nourishment. Generally speaking, the physical discomforts that one can experience are prone to causing serious disruption in concentration factors. That means that we need to take care of our bodies in order to keep our concentration skills in the best shape possible. Sometimes that means taking a break when we realize our concentration is waning.

Without the skills that enable us to remain focused on our task, we find it difficult to complete tasks successfully. Trading is by no means any different. The tighter we maintain our concentration skills, the better we are able to make assessments and judgments regarding our financial situation. For those of us who find concentration to be a fairy tale, practicing with games and challenges that enhance our mind skills is a fabulous method of boosting our concentration abilities.

In the mean time, Good Luck on your journey to success.