No Fear – The Emotional Game…

This week, I’ve had a couple of emails of the same kind, which left me thinking about the markets just today.

Fear, mindset, mentality… whatever you want to call it, it rears its ugly head again and again in the world of Betfair trading. The markets can be pretty frantic at times, and if you’re not desensitized to it or don’t have much confidence, whether it’s due to a lack of understanding, being new, or, even worse, something you just read on a forum, you’re on to a bit of a loser before you even start.

Before you do anything, you have to believe it can be done. Without that belief, you’re finished. It’s all too easy to externalize how you’re feeling and say things like, “the markets have changed” or “it’s not possible anymore.” The reality is, as long as there is turnover and movement in the markets, there is opportunity. They may not be as big as before—it’s impossible to say for certain. Often, as one door closes, another opens. In the world of betting markets, with all the numbers jumping around and matching against each other, you just can’t say for certain there is less opportunity. Most of the time, it’s just different.

The markets this week have felt thinner than I remember, although it appears there hasn’t been a significant drop in volume from last year. Just yesterday, Excellent George ran again, which was interesting as there was seemingly solid support for the horse. While it was supported, though, the market fluctuated rather frantically. It’s just those kinds of movements that cast fear and doubt into your mind. That’s tough enough to deal with, let alone listening to others’ negativity towards trading.

It’s said that 95% of people who attempt trading, in general, fail. But to my mind, that doesn’t mean they couldn’t do it. Failure only exists as soon as one stops trying! What it does mean, though, is that there are far more people out there telling you it can’t be done.

Even I can get into a negative slump at times. When that happens, it’s best to just take a break to reset. I heard an old African proverb recently:

“If there is no enemy within, then the enemy outside can do you no harm.”

Worth a thought.

As you’ve probably gathered, I’m feeling extremely positive today. For that reason alone, it’s likely my performance will be better, based on previous experience.

If you find yourself feeling in a bit of a slump, watching something positive like the clip below is likely to be more helpful than listening to the doubters. It can be done—and on small stakes too!