Energy Trading

New York, NY

​I’m a day trader. My focus is a single commodity, and it’s one that affects me personally. It is my own energy. Every action I take, every period of time I devote, I am either gaining or draining energy. Some trades provide me with short term gains, but long term drains. There’s a catch too. My energy - or at least my capacity to spend it, is finite. I must sleep every day, no matter how many energy gaining trades I make. 

​Eight hours of sleep puts me in my peak position of leverage for the day. Less, and more depending on the circumstances, puts me at a disadvantage. I start my day with meditation. Meditation is energy neutral at worst, and gaining at best. It’s main benefit is clearing my mind for a day of trading without distractions. I follow with exercise - either a light routine of stretching, or a full strength training workout. This is energy gaining, but I must be careful how I use this gain to both take advantage of the near-term high, and sustain it for the day. 

I like to follow exercise with a creative task. This typically does not gain me energy, but it does not overdrain me either, and the costs are worth it. Some of my best creative work is done during this period; my first typed draft for this post included. Once my creativity juices have been spent, I need to fuel up with a healthy breakfast. Some days this means eggs, others a fruit bowl or smoothie with peanut butter. Regardless, eating a healthy meal might put me in a short term drain, but will boost my energy levels for the day. 

As I prepare for a session of deep work, sometimes I’ll have a coffee - knowing I’ll pay for it with a nap later. Napping is not something I do only on days I drink coffee. It is a great energy gainer, if played right. I pay with 20 minutes of my time for the nap itself, and 10 minutes for washing my face, brushing my teeth, and refocusing after, and I have just gained substantially for the day. Played poorly though, I can lose time and energy but napping longer. 

Managing my mid-day is most difficult for me, because it invites the most randomness to it. I’ll try to fit in deep work sessions, but I can easily get pulled into a call, distracted by emails, or sidelined by another random occurrence. Here it’s important for me to weigh the costs and benefits of each event thrown my way, and be prepared with a playbook for mitigating any time or energy losses. My go-tos include exercising, coffee, journaling, meditating, a healthy social meeting, going for a walk. 

The evening is a vital period that sets me up for the next day of trading. How I close the day will affect how I open it. Ensuring not to make any foolish plays in the evening, like staring at blue lights and scrolling, can be done by having an evening, or pre-bedtime ritual. Similar to my morning ritual, it involves isolated silence. Reading and writing by hand are two of my daily evening habits that have played the role of easing me into a restful, eight-hour sleep, and positioning me for the next day. 

I lied in the beginning. I don’t trade a single commodity. The other commodity is my time. Knowing how I spend my time affects my energy though, and I find there is no time to waste. Wasting time wastes energy, beginning a vicious cycle of wasting both. By trading wisely throughout the day, I free up so much time and energy for myself, that I’m able to do more, and test new trading strategies. And I’m always looking for new ones.