Not just once

When comparing trading with competitive sport, which is about the closest you can get since the sport is one of the rare events where you can't cheat and constantly compete against yourself, yet there are still many fundamental differences.

One of them is that there is an immense amount of preparation and dedication in both fields and psychological strain put in as an effort before a competition, yet one thing is vastly different.; while an athlete has just a few tries at, let's say, an Olympic event and deals with the stress that it all points to one event and the challenge to have to lay it out now and hopefully earn a medal and then can relax, a trader has to perform every day over and over and over again.

As a trader, you never get used to the uncertainty of exposure to future events.

You are just constantly exposed.

You never feel safe.

You never reach the goal.

Yes, you manage some goals set and might improve your performance and, over time, handle things more easily. Still, you are, in a way, always naked, always in the light to measure yourself against yourself, and have this vulnerability to deal with an environment that's not natural.

Deep sea welding is one of the most dangerous professions, yet as much as you are exposed to a work environment that's not natural to human beings, you have time off.

I only know a few traders who do vacations, let alone long ones.

This need to keep the market close, to feel comfortable to be exposed to it again requires this constant exposure.

It is undoubtedly very taxing to be put on the spot at the Olympic games to perform now, and here, and all the sweat and tears invested seek out the reward condensed down to a time slot, and yet I believe constant exposure and constant stress to perform is even more demanding to a human being.