Louise Bedford gets your moving in the right direction.

We can cheat on our dreams, just a little each day, and no one will notice. An extra coffee with a friend, another sitcom from the comfort of the couch, a Sunday sleep-in, and blam – another week has gone past without working on your trading plan, without developing the skills to rescue you from your humdrum life.

Everyone procrastinates. It's part of human nature. However, when we cheat and do not do the hard things in life, it’s corrosive. It rusts the soul. Little by little it erodes the fabric of our dreams and goals, until we're so far away from what we really want that we can't get excited or passionate about anything. Before we know it, making lazy, weak choices becomes a habit that infiltrates every area of our life.

This is the essence of a mid-life crisis. Things seem boring, everything seems like a repeat of everything else, and all of a sudden you're jaded.

It doesn't have to be this way. Small feats of discipline can help you overcome inertia and bring a sparkle back to your eye.

I challenge you. Tomorrow morning, before you get out of bed, lie for a few minutes and ask yourself: Am I really happy? While your brain isn't yet in gear for the day and you're chasing away the remnants of dreams, take time to reflect. And if you’re not happy, ask yourself for some solutions...

Excerpted from an article originally published in the Jul/Aug 2011 issue of YourTradingEdge magazine. All rights reserved. © Copyright 2011, Your Media Edge Pty Ltd.
If you are a subscriber to YourTradingEdge magazine, you will receive this article in your Jul/Aug 2011 issue of YTE. If you are not a subscriber, click here to subscribe, or to purchase this issue as a single back issue, click here.