Success Master Skills: Pay Up For Knowledge

I have written in this blog before that life is now so complex, and the paths to success so specialized, that expert knowledge is needed in almost every area of life, if oen wants to make the most of one’s efforts.

Well, last year, I decided to take a dose of my own medicine. Instead of “going it alone” with a few books, I decided to head out into the world and take some courses with experts. The result?

The results exceeded my wildest dreams.  Every facet of my life improved. So, I strongly recommend the following Success Secret: Pay up for knowledge!

In March 2010 I took an statistics-oriented trading course from John Joseph , a brilliant trader, system developer, and CTA.  Immediately, my trading systems improved, and I have been much more consistently profitable as a result

In May, 2010 I went to the Market Technicians Association Symposium in New York and, as an outgrowth of that trip, managed to learn some key  material which I put to use in my longer term trading, and which has yielded some very satisfying results in the almost 12 months since the Symposium.

 In June 2010 I took three weeks of training in Microsoft Access, because, thanks to the trading course just mentioned, I was generating so much data that I had to put it together and keep track of it much better. Result? Much better record keeping, much faster and more creative “slicing and dicing” of my data. Also, the ability to handle many more systems.

From August to October, I took the Dale Carnegie Course, their flagship course.  This was truly life-changing. I had known a few people who took it, and so, 30 years too late, I took it myself.  My life changed for the better  immediately: better friendships, less of an “edge” to my interactions with others, and so much more. I will be studying that material for a lifetime.

None of these efforts was cheap. And not only in money terms. You have to face your demons and come to terms that, to get a better life, you must admit you are not an expert. But once you go through that door, the rewards are truly beyond measure.

2010 was my Annus Mirabilis. May 2011 be yours.