WHY TRAVEL AND TRADING GO HAND IN HAND
Why Travel & Trading Go Hand In Hand
More often than not, the realities of working life in the 21st century mean being stuck at a desk in front of a computer for hours on end, staring at the same four walls day in, day out.
As the years go on, this can very quickly become really rather soul destroying and, when dissatisfaction sets in, depression often isn’t very far behind.
It’s a big wide world out there and one that’s ripe for exploration, which is why it’s so important to find a job that affords you the flexibility to work, yes, but to also devote your time and energy to other pursuits… and you may well find that forex trading is the absolute perfect choice for helping you to do just that.
Of course, you do still need to be at a desk for a portion of the day when you’re trading so you can make your trades and keep up to date with all the latest goings-on, but what’s great about playing the markets is that you can do it absolutely anywhere you like and you can pick and choose your trading times to a certain extent, giving you the freedom to pursue other avenues of your life while also pursuing a lucrative career as a trader.
For those of you with itchy feet and something of a wanderlust outlook on life, forex trading represents the perfect business opportunity for you. You’re able to travel while earning income – and what could be better than that?
Interestingly, ever since the pandemic saw an increase in working remotely, it seems that one of the knock-on effects of this is a lasting trend for workcations, where work and play are combined. Growing numbers of people are now opting to head off on their travels armed with a laptop so they can get the job done and still have fun at the same time.
You might well think that blending work and play in this way would be counterproductive, especially given how important it is to maintain a distinction between your work and home life, but this can easily be achieved while you travel as long as you put certain measures in place.
For example, you could adopt a task-based approach to work rather than an hours-based approach… as long as the same amount of work gets done and you hit your deadlines, why should you be sat at your desk for the typical 9-5? Being able to set your own hours and keep to your own timetable is incredibly empowering and happy workers are productive workers, after all!
For traders, one of the biggest benefits when it comes to performance is that travel absolutely broadens your horizons – and very quickly indeed.
Seeing the world and being a globetrotter helps you learn all sorts of new skills that you’ll be able to apply to other areas of your life, such as resilience, self-sufficiency and independent thinking… skills that will really serve you well when you’re trading currency pairs.
In fact, one of the most interesting aspects of forex trading as a profession is the journey of self-discovery you’ll inevitably have to go on. It’s often necessary to be introspective and build your own self-awareness in order to progress as a trader and travelling the world far and wide can really help you develop on a personal level, something that will really help with your overall trading performance.
Planning & forethought
Organisation, for example, is absolutely key for trading success and this is a skill that travel can really help you hone. Heading off on an adventure to parts unknown takes a huge amount of planning and you’ll need to make all sorts of arrangements depending on where you’re going, covering your living arrangements, vaccinations, insurance, visas, travel documents… the list is endless.
But over time, the more you travel, the easier you’ll find it – and you’ll also find that your newly acquired organisational skills start having an impact on how you trade.
Being organised and coming up with a plan before opening any trades is the best plan of attack if you want to drive wins your way. Markets can be very unpredictable and if your emotions start to get the better of you, you’ll find that you start making mistakes or start doubting yourself, or even start letting greed take over.
But if you’re organised and stick to your trading plan, you’ll be able to weather the storms that gather far more successfully and you’ll see more consistent wins over time.
Decisions, decisions
Another key skill that the most lucrative traders out there will have in abundance are excellent decision-making abilities and, again, this is something that travelling and seeing the world will really help you hone to the nth degree.
Choosing what to see and where to go, what order to do everything in, where to eat, where to stay, what to put on the itinerary and what to leave off it, what food to eat, what food to avoid, how to stay safe… you’ll constantly be making decisions at every turn when you’re on the road and the more decisions you make, the more confident you’ll become and the more you’ll trust yourself and your instincts and intuition.
The same is true for trading. The more you do it, the better you’ll become at making timely and relevant decisions that are based on rational thought, rather than emotion or whim.
Travel can also help you think on your feet and it helps you build resilience, which allows you to make quick decisions in the face of adversity – something else that will really work in your favour when you embark on your trading career.
Stress buster!
One universally accepted truth about forex trading is that it is inherently stressful. This is natural, of course, because the stakes can be very high when you’re risking your money.
When you’re on a losing streak, you can start to lose your focus at the same time, making poor decisions based on your emotional state… which will only increase your stress levels as you continue to trade.
We all know that taking regular breaks can help you with stress management, but there’s a huge amount that can be said for the mental health benefits of travelling.
Exploring new and exciting plays and discovering interesting new cultures is incredibly mentally stimulating and if you’re doing this regularly, you’re sure to start reaping the benefits when you are back at the trading desk.
Feeling the pressure at work can have a significant impact on your mind, body and soul, but you can step back, clear your mind and renew your focus when you travel.
Meeting new people, learning new languages, trying different cuisines, listening to different types of music… all of this has been linked to an increase in creative thinking and can even help you develop your problem-solving skills, which will certainly help you as a trader.
While a logical and well-thought out approach to trading is definitely a must, there’s also a very real place for creativity, as well.
Having new ideas and being able to identify potential opportunities will really help you as a trader and this is something you can foster through travel, enhancing your depth of thought and helping you to see the world through new eyes… so the next time you find yourself in foreign climes, make sure you immerse yourself in and engage with the local culture of the place you’re in.
You might well be surprised at the results the next time you’re at your computer, reviewing currency pairs.
Productivity boost
Even the most seasoned of traders will find themselves losing their focus from time to time, with productivity taking a serious dip as a result. But you can help sidestep this landmine through travel and by taking regular breaks to make sure you’re not working too hard and potentially burning yourself out.
Recent research carried out by the University of East London revealed that the majority of business travellers believe that workcations and business-leisure travel actually makes them more productive, with 78 per cent of those surveyed saying they experienced an increase in personal wellbeing when back at their desks post-travel.
It was also found that 61 per cent believed they were more productive when they returned to work, while 36 per cent said they chose to extend their business trip in order to have some more leisure time while away.
Unfortunately, however, it seems that employers themselves may not yet fully recognise the benefits of workcations from a mental health perspective. The study also found that 71 per cent of people say that the company they work for doesn’t actively promote leisure activities either before or after business trips.
As such, now could well be the time to consider a career move, leaving the confines of your office to take up forex trading full time. Who knows how good you could feel?
Interested in securing forex funding so you can start trading immediately? Check out the programs we have available to see if any suit you and your ambitions.