Failing Forward on the Forex Market

25 years ago I failed college algebra.

Actually, I got a D. This is not technically failing, but since you needed a C average to get into the engineering school, it was not good news.

Now getting a D in college algebra might not be the end of the world for an art student, or a business major, or even pre-law, but for an engineering candidate it was devastating.

You see, the list of “required courses” for an engineering degree did not even include college algebra.  You know why?  Because it’s so basic, so trivial, they assumed you already knew algebra if you were even considering engineering as a major!

Seriously, it’s not even a pre-requisite.  It’s a pre-pre-requisite.  (I’m not making this up. Pre-calculus is a pre-requisite, and college algebra is the pre-requisite for pre-calculus!)

So, needless to say, I was depressed.  But I didn’t give up.  I’m not even sure why I didn’t give up – stubbornness – or maybe just refusing to fail.

When I look back on that experience, it reminds me of a saying I came across just the other day:

“Failure is not the opposite of success,  it is a step towards success.”

In this case, it’s true.  I learned from that failure. Among other things, I learned to never take a math course early in the morning again.  Ever.

I’m serious.  8:00 AM is just way too early for my brain to be solving equations.

Anyway, I really like that saying.  And I think it applies perfectly to Forex trading.

Let me tell you right now: If you are not ready to fail, then Forex trading is not for you.  Don’t even try it.

You and I (and every other trader) are looking for the same thing. To build that ultimate trading system that never loses and just wins, wins, wins.  The so-called “Holy Grail” of trading.

But if you think it’s just gonna happen without coming up with some seemingly great ideas, falling in love with those same ideas and then systematically destroying them, well, you are dead wrong.

And let me tell you, destroying those ideas hurts.

It really does.  Because you think your idea is so clever and it makes so much sense and it’s based on rock-solid logic.

Then you implement it and it fails horribly. Ouch.

But where would you rather be?  Still dreaming about an idea that’s bound to fail?  Or would you like to have failed-forward and be working on your next idea?

Whatever tools you use to build your Expert Advisor, make sure you can move quickly from your idea to implementation.

As sadistic as it sounds, the faster you can crush your ideas, the faster you’ll move toward success.

NOTE: I should clarify, I don’t believe there is such a thing as a “Holy Grail” trading system and I don’t really search for one, but I do continually try to improve my systems to make them as good as they can be.  And yeah, the holy grail system is fun to dream about.