Assessing Your Positives: Are You Flourishing? Brett Steenbarger ,
Recent research in psychology, much of which has been conducted under the umbrella of “positive psychology”, suggests that optimal functioning is achieved not just by minimizing negatives, but through the achievement of distinct positives. In the Trading Psychology 2.0 text, I focus on four domains of positivity: happiness and positive emotional experience; life satisfaction and fulfillment; physical well-being and energy; and relationship quality and affection. We function at our best when we are exercising strengths in each of these domains.
To appreciate the difference between the traditional psychological perspective and the newer one, consider two traders keeping performance journals. The first trader keeps tabs on various problems that creep into his or her trading, including the usual suspects of fear and greed. The journal entries note how these have occurred and what the trader will try to do subsequently to avoid the pitfalls.
The second trader keeps a journal that is broken down into five areas of performance: research and information collection; creativity and the generation of trading ideas; entry execution and position management; risk management and exit execution; and self-management along the four domains listed above. Each of those areas of performance is anchored by best practices and the reverse-engineering of successes, so that there is a continual refinement of strengths.
One journal consists of finger-wagging: don’t do the wrong things. The other journal consists of an exercise of strengths: do what you do best.
Which journal is most likely to be empowering? Which is a trader most likely to stick with? Which is most likely to lead to exemplary performance?
Minimizing our problems can help us cope. Maximizing our strengths can help us flourish.
My experience is that the flourishing focus is a true paradigm shift for most people. Most of us view our typical day as an opportunity to get tasks done, manage challenges that arise, and hopefully accomplish some things. Once we view life through the lens of flourishing, however, each day becomes an opportunity to enhance happiness, personal satisfaction, energy, and relationships. This is the idea of life as a gymnasium: each day presents challenges that exercise the best within us.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/brettst...assessing-your-positives-are-you-flourishing/
Recent research in psychology, much of which has been conducted under the umbrella of “positive psychology”, suggests that optimal functioning is achieved not just by minimizing negatives, but through the achievement of distinct positives. In the Trading Psychology 2.0 text, I focus on four domains of positivity: happiness and positive emotional experience; life satisfaction and fulfillment; physical well-being and energy; and relationship quality and affection. We function at our best when we are exercising strengths in each of these domains.
To appreciate the difference between the traditional psychological perspective and the newer one, consider two traders keeping performance journals. The first trader keeps tabs on various problems that creep into his or her trading, including the usual suspects of fear and greed. The journal entries note how these have occurred and what the trader will try to do subsequently to avoid the pitfalls.
The second trader keeps a journal that is broken down into five areas of performance: research and information collection; creativity and the generation of trading ideas; entry execution and position management; risk management and exit execution; and self-management along the four domains listed above. Each of those areas of performance is anchored by best practices and the reverse-engineering of successes, so that there is a continual refinement of strengths.
One journal consists of finger-wagging: don’t do the wrong things. The other journal consists of an exercise of strengths: do what you do best.
Which journal is most likely to be empowering? Which is a trader most likely to stick with? Which is most likely to lead to exemplary performance?
Minimizing our problems can help us cope. Maximizing our strengths can help us flourish.
My experience is that the flourishing focus is a true paradigm shift for most people. Most of us view our typical day as an opportunity to get tasks done, manage challenges that arise, and hopefully accomplish some things. Once we view life through the lens of flourishing, however, each day becomes an opportunity to enhance happiness, personal satisfaction, energy, and relationships. This is the idea of life as a gymnasium: each day presents challenges that exercise the best within us.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/brettst...assessing-your-positives-are-you-flourishing/