Trader’s Success Pyramid

Success at trading is a holistic approach. There are many traits that go into it. It’s important to
understand what success means to you. Based on our research of successful traders as well as
high achievers, we have shortlisted these few traits and put them up into a pyramid, called the
Trader’s Success Pyramid. This pyramid is a trader’s reference point in times of obscurity of
what it takes to make it big here.

According to John Wooden, “Success is peace of mind attained only through self-satisfaction in
knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you’re capable”. For traders, this is akin to
following the four fundamental rules of trading. Henceforth, while we refer to the word
Success, we shall not be referencing it just something that shows up into your bank account, we
shall reference it as performing to the best of our capabilities and raising yourself to your
highest potential at all times.

The Trader’s Success Pyramid consists of five levels –

1. The bottom layer of the Pyramid is The Foundation which holds the pyramid. Each
element is so important that it cannot be compromised.
2. The second layer is The Roadmap which acts like a vehicle that takes you to the higher
levels of the pyramid.
3. The third layer called The Heart of the pyramid contains the critical values that are
imperative to make you a successful trader.
4. The fourth layer is the Best of You, which contains the two qualities which ensure that
you perform at your potential at all times.
5. The Apex contains the ultimate block that makes you a pro trader.

Please ensure you go through each block carefully and ponder upon each, before answering the
questions below.

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 THE FOUNDATION

1. Vision
Vision is one of the cornerstones of the Foundation level of this pyramid. It is about having
clarity of your ultimate goal in life. This is the origin of everything. Are you able to envision
yourself on what you would be doing and where you would be living in future?

Questions –

Do you have a vision for yourself for the next 10 years? Yes / No

What do you see yourself becoming?

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2. Belief

You have been conditioned while being raised - by your parents, teachers, community and
peers. This conditioning is the reason behind your belief system. A few of these beliefs may
help you in your success while a few of them may be responsible for holding you back, in-
spite of you performing at your best. The latter are what we call the non-serving beliefs.

Question – List down any five of your beliefs that you feel do not serve you in moving
forward in any area of life. On the right, you may list down their source too.

1. Belief _____________________________ Source ____________________________

2. Belief _____________________________ Source ____________________________

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 3. Belief _____________________________ Source ____________________________

4. Belief _____________________________ Source ____________________________

5. Belief _____________________________ Source ____________________________

3. Life Long Learner

Jim Rohn says, “Formal education makes you a living, self-education makes you a fortune”.
All successful traders are life-long learners. Their learning never stops after formal
education. This is a quality that cannot be compromised, hence its placement at the center
of the Foundation level. We live in an internet age where the best of the information is
available at the click of a button. You can therefore never excuse yourself from it.

Questions –

List down any three areas in your life where you need to upgrade your knowledge.

1. __________________________________

2. __________________________________

3. __________________________________

What specific actions do you plan to take in the next 30 days to ensure this upgrade?

1. __________________________________

2. __________________________________

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 3. __________________________________

4. Resourcefulness

Do you find yourself giving excuses for non-performing? Absence of resources has never
held successful people back. They have been great at generating these resources - be it
money, time or people. None had things ready on a platter.

Questions –

Lack of which resources do you find yourself complaining about often in your life?

1. ____________________________

2. ____________________________

3. ____________________________

List down specific action steps that you will take in the next 30 days to generate at least any
one of these?

1. ____________________________

2. ____________________________

3. ____________________________

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5. Enthusiasm

Nothing great in life was ever achieved without enthusiasm. If you are not enthusiastic
about the work that you do, who else will be? Enthusiasm is the love and joy in what you
do. It is highly contagious; it rubs off on people around you. Your productivity, focus and
drive depend upon your enthusiasm. If you find yourself not being enthusiastic about what
you do, step back and ask yourself, “Do I really want to do this?” A few tips to being
enthusiastic daily – try something new, read books or help people.

Question – Do you feel enthusiasm in the work that you do? If not, why so?

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THE ROADMAP

6. Mind-Body-Spirit

High performing traders are always aware of the importance of these three elements
combined. Your physical body, your mental body and your morals go together to make you
what you are. Constant practice and moderation are the two tools to build these three.

Question - Rate yourself on each of these three elements, at present –

1. Physical Body - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2. Mental Body - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3. Spiritual Body - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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7. Goals

Though rated clichéd by people, goals are the vehicles that take you towards your vision,
one of the cornerstones of the foundation level of the pyramid. Goals help you to be
persistent and maintain your perseverance and stamina to keep up at your mission in life.
Ensure that your goals are realistic – being neither too high nor too low. Adversities and
obstacles are a given, while you are on your way to achieve your goals. Let them alter your
course, if they do, but don’t let them stop you.

Question – List down the major areas of your life where you have written goals?

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

8. Productivity

How do successful people plan their days, weeks and months? My study revealed that these
people manage they time extremely well. Robin Sharma puts it well when he says, Time

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 Management is Focus Management. Management of time and resources ought to be your
priority when you set out to do something important. Especially in this day and age of social
media distractions, it is highly imperative that we increase our focus on productivity.

Question – List three things that you do to maintain your productivity on a day-to-day
basis?

1. _____________________________

2. _____________________________

3. _____________________________

9. Adaptability

When encountered with sudden changes in life, most of us get hassled and taken aback.
High performers swiftly adapt to sudden changes in their life. Instead of feeling the
challenge, fear and pain that comes with change, they react in a manner that ensures them
freedom, flexibility and fun. To practice adaptability, try changing little things in your daily
life. See how comfortable you feel doing that.

Question – List down any three things that you are willing to change in the next 30 days, in a
bid to move a step towards being more adaptable in life.

1. _____________________________

2. _____________________________

3. _____________________________

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 THE HEART

10. Action

Let’s not get into the category of ‘Success seekers but non-action takers.’ All the knowledge
we gather is of no use until we take the desired action. Our vision, skills, practice and
enthusiasm – none of these would make sense until we take action.

Question – List down three areas of your life where you feel that you need to take action
on an immediate basis, so that they get going to another level?

1. _______________________________

2. _______________________________

3. _______________________________

11. Drive

Drive is the passion in your heart. Driven people never get a low-down in the wake of
failures. Think about one person in your life who displays this trait. All high performers
possess this drive. In the absence of passion, one cannot sustain the storms of life. Drive is
directly connected to enthusiasm.

Question – What is it that you wake up for every single day? What do you love to do?

________________________________________________________________________

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 ________________________________________________________________________

12. Skill

Skill is being able to execute the fundamentals of any task well. My mentor always said
Focus on your Fundamentals. It is always about the fundamentals. Your practice of skills in
this profession will determine your success here. And practice is all about daily rituals and
routine. High performers never cease to work on their basics to a level until they get genius
on that front. Until no one can beat them.

Question – List any three skill sets that you wish to work upon in the next 30 days.

1. _____________________________

2. _____________________________

3. _____________________________

THE BEST OF YOU

13. Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is often the missing gap between the performers and non-performers.
Practicing mindfulness and vigilance are the keys to maintaining self-control. Using our head
instead of the emotions helps in self-discipline, especially in trading and investment. In the
age that we live in, there is no dearth of knowledge. We all know how to be our best. It’s
only the lack of self-discipline that stops us from performing at our best. Practicing self-
discipline in smaller things in life prepares you to do so for bigger things that matter.
Instead of reacting with emotions, try to infuse calmness and clarity into the situation. And
notice the difference.

Question – List three areas in your daily life where you intend to practice self-control on an
immediate basis.

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 1. _____________________________

2. _____________________________

3. _____________________________

14. Confidence

People intend to make it big in life but they lack confidence in their abilities. Focusing only
on the positive in any situation, positive qualities within yourself and others around you,
helps build confidence to a large extent. Practicing control over one’s actions helps too. Also
the more you raise your competence, the higher goes your confidence. The two are inter-
related. Lastly, beware of your confidence turning into arrogance.

Question - In what aspects of your life would it help you to be more confident?

1. _________________________________

2. _________________________________

3. _________________________________

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 THE APEX

15. Poise

Practicing a cool and calm temperament is the essence of building the trait of Poise, which
is the ultimate trait of the Trader’s Success Pyramid. In the wake of encountering losses in
trading, when you get all stirred up from within, know that it’s time to work on this aspect.
Practicing poise in daily actions helps immensely. Poise essentially means being comfortable
in one’s own skin – being true to your own self. Not being ashamed of who you are. This is
the apex of self-mastery. Each of the lower blocks lead you to Poise.

Question – Think and note down the situations in your life where you think you lack the
demonstration of poise?

1. _____________________________________

2. _____________________________________

3. _____________________________________

4. _____________________________________

5. _____________________________________

Additional thoughts and observations from the exercise –

________________________________________________________________________

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