Last night I found myself thinking about how much I love teaching.

Seeing so many students grow from inexperienced newbies to full-fledged market crushers is the most inspiring thing in the world to me. 

$GOOGL $TSLA $BABA puts sold! $AMZN currently 🔴 and holding. 🥴
Learning how to trade the dark side. Thanks to Mark! @EvolvedTrader @thehonestcroock pic.twitter.com/BMMETJvXZK

— Jenny Smith (@jpsmith5804) July 11, 2022

Take my top student, Jenny, as a prime example. She’s been CRUSHING it, scalping options like a pro throughout this insane bear market. 

Hocus Pokus with @timothysykes PSF! 😜😜😜$TSLA $AMZN $NVDA @EvolvedTrader @thehonestcroock pic.twitter.com/TuJLOxDapH

— Jenny Smith (@jpsmith5804) July 11, 2022

I can’t help but think about my early days as a student in Tim Sykes’ Trading Challenge.

If it wasn’t for the wisdom I absorbed from Sykes, I’d never be where I am today.

With that in mind, I’d like to take a trip down memory lane today and review how I’ve personally evolved over the years.

Keep reading and I’ll tell you a little more about my journey. Who knows? Maybe you can apply some of what you read to your trading career.

My Newbie Journey

Allow me to let you all in on a little secret…

Roughly 10 years ago, I was working as a general accountant. I was always good with numbers and conservative about saving my money … But I didn’t enjoy my job.

I longed for something more exciting.

I was long interested in day trading but never had the confidence to take the plunge. Then, one fateful day, I clicked on a link for a Tim Sykes webinar…

I loved it. I immediately connected with Tim’s approach to the markets. Before long, I signed up for his Pennystocking Silver service. Then I upgraded to his Trading Challenge. 

But let me be clear about something … When I first started studying with Tim, I had no idea what I was doing. 

I had all the obvious signs of a newbie trader — loose strategy, shaky pattern recognition, and almost NO DISCIPLINE. (Hey, we all have to start somewhere, right?)

That’s when the real work began. I dove headfirst into the Trading Challenge. To say I was hooked would be an understatement — but I had no idea my entire life was about to change.

I watched all of Tim’s video lessons and webinars three times each. And I organized them by category. Doing that helped me internalize every key chart pattern.

After that, my trading results went on an upswing. Three key areas have been critical to my development. Here’s why I think I’m the trader I am today…

My 3 Areas of Improvement

To me, nothing’s more rewarding than seeing noticeable improvements in my (and my students’) trading. I live for this progress. 

Even when a play doesn’t go perfectly — if my execution marks an improvement over my last trade — I view that as a win.

In fact, I named this service ‘Evolved Trader’ to highlight the importance of sharpening and improving your strategy. 

But how SPECIFICALLY have I grown and evolved? What areas of improvement have made the biggest difference in my trading career? (This could help you, too.)

• Confidence. As a newbie trader, I’d hesitate and second-guess my trade ideas. But now, if the chart pattern is perfect for me — I stick with my conviction and fearlessly pull the trigger. Note: I still miss entries and exits sometimes. You can never expect to trade perfectly.
• Patience. Sometimes I had a good idea for a trade, but it wasn’t the perfect time to enter. These days, I strive for zen-like patience with my setups and picking the best time to strike. Note: As an options trader, being too early or late is the same as being wrong.
• Discipline. As a young ’un with no discipline, I’d enter trades without an excellent setup. Don’t be like young me. Instead, practice honing the discipline to wait for ideal setups and perfect chart patterns. Note: Avoiding FOMO is a skill you have to master.

Final Thoughts

My trading journey has been a long, hard road. But I wouldn’t trade my time in the markets for anything. Now It’s fun to look back on how hard I’ve worked and all I’ve accomplished.

There’s no one rule for improvement — everyone’s journey is different. But I think many students can relate to much of what I’ve been through…

I hope you can use my story as fuel for your trading journey. It won’t be easy, but if you stick with it, you may be amazed at where it can take you.