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Why Traders Should Learn From Cristiano Ronaldo

Education
SP:SPX   S&P 500 Index
Cristiano Ronaldo is a soccer legend. He has won the Ballon d'Or five times, which is an award for the best player in the world.

He's scored more than 700 career goals, and he's won league titles in England, Spain, and Italy. Not to mention, he's also won the Champions League, Europe's top club competition, five times.

Ronaldo is known for his incredible work ethic, athleticism, and his drive to win. He's one of the greatest soccer players ever.

Traders can learn greatly from Cristiano Ronaldo. How? Let's go back to his past.

When Ronaldo was getting ready to make a big jump in his career to join Manchester United, he had to make a huge choice.

Top teams like Barcelona and Inter Milan also wanted him. But Manchester United's coach, Sir Alex Ferguson, promised him something special: he'd get to play in lots of games, at least 50% of total matches in the season. An offer which he agreed to take.

Even when Ronaldo was still young he wasn't oriented about getting rich or famous fast. Ronaldo picked Ferguson's team because he wanted to get better at soccer by having more opportunities to play. He believed in process.

This decision helped him become the star we all know now.

This is a good story to think about for anyone starting to trade. Trading isn't just about making fast cash. It's about learning how the market works and making smart choices. Think like Ronaldo did: focus on practicing and getting better, not on the money you could make today or tomorrow.

Now, let's go to another field. Let's look at example from a doctor who is about to perform surgery.
The doctor was faced with a critical decision:

A 55-year-old man with a serious heart condition needs surgery to continue working and living without pain.

The operation has clear benefits, potentially extending the patient's life from age 65 to 70.

However, there's an 8% risk associated with the surgery, meaning that there's a chance the patient may not survive the operation itself. The doctor, knowing these odds, decides to go ahead with the surgery, and thankfully, it's a success.

This situation parallels the decisions traders make. They analyze market conditions, evaluate potential risks and rewards, and make their best judgment call on whether to buy or sell an asset.

Much like the doctor who bases their decision on medical knowledge and the patient's condition, a trader relies on economic data, company performance, and market trends. But even with the best analysis, the outcome is not guaranteed.

The doctor's decision should not be judged solely on the outcome—the patient's survival—because it was made with the best information available at the time.

Similarly, in trading, a decision should not be judged only by the profit or loss that results. A trade made on sound analysis can still lose money if the market goes the other way, just as a profitable trade could result from an ill-informed decision that happens to get lucky.

It’s like running past a dynamite factory with a lit torch. If you make it past and nothing blows up, it might seem like a good decision because you’re okay.

But was it smart to run with that torch in the first place? Not really. That's what traders have to watch out for: not tricking themselves into thinking a risky bet was smart just because they didn't lose money this time.

For new traders, the best thing to do is make a trading plan and stick to it. Write down why you're making each trade. Later, you can look back and learn from what you did right or wrong. It’s not about quick wins; it’s about getting better over time.
Another example is if you're learning to cook. You don’t expect to be a great chef right away. You start with simple recipes and get better with practice. And if a dish doesn’t turn out perfect, it doesn’t mean you're a bad cook. It's part of learning.

In trading, remember the idea of outcome bias.

This is when you think a decision was good just because things ended up okay. This can really mess with your head, making you overconfident or too scared to make your next move.

So, traders should be like athletes or chefs, caring more about how they do their work than just the win or the perfect meal.
Believe in the process because in the long run, it's how much you learn and get better that really matters.



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